10 Best So-Bad-They’re-Good Disaster Movies, Ranked

The Big Picture

• Disaster films often aim to please everyone, but end up displeasing everyone – finding the sweet spot is crucial.
• ‘Into the Storm’ may lack in story and characters, but makes up for it with atmospheric visuals and set-pieces.
• Don’t let the dull plot of ‘The Happening’ fool you – Shyamalan’s unique take on an invisible threat is worth the watch.

There’s a fine line between bad and so-bad-it’s-good. What differentiates the two can vary, but typically a film is promoted to so-bad-it’s-good due to teh great execution of one element above all others, tongue-in-cheek execution, unintentionally hilarious scenes or, in rare cases, all of the above.

The disaster genre is jam-packed with so-bad-it’s-good films. Requiring big budgets and even bigger box office returns, these films are often made by committee with the aim of pleasing all types of audience members. As many box-office flops have learned the hard way, trying to please everyone is an easy way to displease everyone. But between a disaster film’s success and failure is a magical sweet spot that’s home to the films featured in this list.

10 ‘Into the Storm’ (2014)

Directed by: Steven Quale

High school vice principal Gary (Richard Armitage) is preparing the senior class for their graduation, and asks his sons to help out by filming some of the day’s proceedings. As the ceremony gets under way, the weather takes a turn and unleashes a tornado outbreak across the small town.

Tornadoes get the ‘found-footage’ treatment in Into the Storm, which explores the carnage and devastation of a tornado outbreak through shaky-cam footage and POV action. Luckily for Into the Storm, its dull characters and middling story are overshadowed by the moody atmosphere and propulsive set-pieces, which are brought to life with surprisingly good visual effects. Although the mid-budget film was a box-office hit, it unfortunately doesn’t hold a candle to the tornado classic Twister, which has a sequel hitting screens in the summer of 2024.

Watch on Apple TV+

9 ‘The Happening’ (2008)

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

High school science teacher Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) leave Philadelphia after a mysterious disaster starts spreading across the country. The pair end up traveling through small towns and fighting to survive, while the people around them begin to end their own lives en masse.

In the case of The Happening, seeing is believing. The film by iconic director M. Night Shyamalan is as unique as it is baffling and is mandatory viewing for anyone who loves unintentionally weird and wacky cinema. While the film’s main threat is interesting on paper, it turns out that depicting the spread of an invisible neurotoxin that causes suicide is easier said than done. Despite Shyamalan‘s skill as a storyteller, watching Mark Wahlberg talk to houseplants and literally try to outrun the wind isn’t as scary as the director intended.

Watch on Apple TV+

8 ‘2012’ (2006)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

A failed science-fiction writer (John Cusack), an American geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a Russian oligarch (Zlatko Burić) all cross paths with one another as they try to survive a series of apocalyptic disasters sweeping the planet. The only hope for survival is to find refuge within one of several arks that were built to save humanity in the event of the world’s end.

Bloated, overlong and stuffed with every character archetype one could imagine –2012 is certainly a film by Roland Emmerich. Despite the all too familiar formula, there is something that never gets old about an Emmerich disaster film. Perhaps it’s the charisma of the talented actors who appear in his films (like Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover in this case). Or, maybe it’s the irresistible bombast of watching a different international landmark explode. Whatever the case, 2012 scratches an itch that many viewers are perhaps too embarrassed to admit they have.

Watch on Apple TV+

7 ‘The Ice Road’ (2021)

Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh

When a mine in Manitoba collapses, dozens of miners are trapped inside. Vital equipment is needed for their rescue, but the equipment is hundreds of miles away. To ensure it’s delivered in time to save the miners, a team of expert truck drivers assemble to move the cargo along the icy and dangerous roads.

It might be a surprise to learn that Liam Neeson has not one, but two chilly action thrillers centered on snow-specific vehicles. The Ice Road is by far the worse of the two. Despite the odd editing choices, mid-tier visual effects and subpar script, The Ice Road has enough potential to make it worthwhile for schlocky disaster film aficionados. Neeson’s other snow and transit-based film, Cold Pursuit, couldn’t be more different, despite the similarity in the settings and characters. A pitch black comedy about the futile misery of vengeance, Cold Pursuit is elevated by a dark quirkiness and a hilarious and iconic villain performance from Tom Bateman. Thankfully, this town is big enough for the two of these films, and the pair make for a solid and strange double-feature.

Watch on Netflix

6 ‘San Andreas’ (2015)

Directed by: Brad Peyton

Due to the shifting of the entire San Andreas Fault, a huge series of earthquakes are set to rock California. After a 9.1 magnitude quake levels LA and San Francisco, rescue helicopter pilot Ray (Dwayne Johnson) flies across the city rescuing people, including his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) and daughter (Alexandra Daddario).

Ill-fitting romance subplots and a tone that’s too self-serious aren’t enough to ruin the fun of watching CGI buildings crash to the ground one floor at a time. Although San Andreas is pretty earthquake heavy, there are plenty of adjacent disasters to keep viewers glued to the screen. Smatterings of fires, sinkholes and tsunamis well and truly overwhelm the sub-zero chemistry between the leads and the thin plot.

Watch on Max

5 ‘Poseidon’ (2006)

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen

Luxury ocean liner RMS Poseidon is making a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers on board include firefighter and former mayor of New York City Robert Ramsay (Kurt Russell), ex-Navy officer Dylan (Josh Lucas) and a widowed mother (Jacinda Barrett) and her son. While the passengers and crew are celebrating New Year’s Eve, a massive wave strikes the ship, causing it to capsize.

One of several adaptations of the 1969 novel The Poseidon Adventure, Poseidon is certainly the most fun of the bunch. While the 1972 version adds a convincing earnestness to the depiction of a disaster at sea, the 2006 film from Wolfgang Petersen is not so convincing. Indulging in cliché after cliché as its foolish characters take turns dying in unique ways, Poseidon finds its fun in much the same way as a slasher film.

Watch on Apple TV+

4 ‘Volcano’ (1997)

Directed by: Mick Jackson

After a volcano forms at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, a dangerous river of lava begins flowing through the streets of LA. Mike (Tommy Lee Jones) is the newly appointed director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and begins working to try and divert the lava rivers and save the city.

Unfortunately for

Volcano

,

Dante’s Peak

was the winning twin in the 1997 cinematic volcano war.

Deep Impact and Armageddon, A Bug’s Life and Antz – twin movies are a widely discussed Hollywood phenomenon. The term refers to the release of two very similar films in the same year. What is less discussed is that typically one twin reigns supreme at the box office and in the memories of audiences. Unfortunately for Volcano, Dante’s Peak was the winning twin in the 1997 cinematic volcano war. Why the dull Dante’s Peak overshadowed the suburban lava rivers of Volcano will remain a mystery lost to time. But, for those trying to decide which magma-based action film to enjoy on a Friday night, take this as a sign to press play on Volcano.

Watch on Hulu

3 ‘No Way Up’ (2024)

Directed by: Claudio Fäh

When a commercial flight is hit by a bird strike, the plane goes down and crashes into the Pacific Ocean, killing both pilots and many passengers. The few people who do survive do so because of an air pocket within the cabin of the plane. Time is running out for the survivors to find a way to the surface, and the danger levels up when the survivors realize the submerged plane is surrounded by sharks.

The trapped in [PLACE] with [SURPRISING ANIMAL] subgenre of disaster-based cinema has been at an absolute fever pitch since the release of tongue-in-cheek classic Snakes on a Plane in 2006. Since then, audiences have been treated to endlessly similar films of varying quality. Some, like Sharknado are open-mic-night punchlines masquerading as feature films. Others, like Crawl, are taut and propulsive thrillers. Then, in the enormous gulf in between, are films like No Way Up. Only time will tell where No Way Up will ultimately rank on the leader board of the ‘confined place with surprising animal’ subgenre, but its creative combo of shark attacks and plane-based peril certainly work in its favor.

Watch on Apple TV+

2 ‘Moonfall’ (2022)

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

After a space shuttle mission goes horribly wrong, astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) is left with the blame, and exits NASA in disgrace. Several years later, Brian meets amateur scientist and conspiracy theorist K.C. (John Bradley). Despite being at odds with one another, the pair form an unlikely partnership when they both realize the same thing; the moon is out of orbit.

Those who have actually seen Moonfall know all too well that the moon literally falling out of orbit and crashing into earth is not even close to being the most absurd part of this film. The utter preposterousness of Moonfall‘s third act is spectacular and is something that only Roland Emmerich could get greenlit. (Unsurprisingly, Moonfall is one of two films from Roland Emmerich that made this list.) The only thing more iconic than the film’s own premise is the caliber of its cast. In addition to the aforementioned John Bradley and horror-movie heartthrob Patrick Wilson, Moonfall also stars Oscar winner Halle Berry and lauded legend Donald Sutherland.

Watch on Apple TV+

1 ‘Geostorm’ (2017)

Directed by: Dean Devlin

Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) is a satellite designer and the chief architect of ‘Dutch Boy’, a system of satellites that can control the climate and avert natural disasters. Despite creating the system, Jake is removed from the controlling committee for insubordination. Years later, when Dutch Boy starts malfunctioning, Jake is brought back into the fold to investigate the cause.

Gerard Butler has carved out a perfect niche for himself. Brimming with self-aware charisma and a lovable ‘everyman’ quality, the actor’s disaster films are some of his best. And, among those top-tier Butler disaster flicks, Geostorm is the worst of the bunch. But ‘bad’ doesn’t have to be a bad thing. From the inherent silliness of a term like ‘geostorm’ to the absurd concept of weather-controlling satellites, Geostorm wears its dumb on its sleeve. As a result, the film from frequent Roland Emmerich collaborator Dean Devlin is fun enough to overcome any and all failings.

Watch on Apple TV