Roland Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow” is a sci-fi natural disaster movie. It’s a novel-based entertainer starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, and Sela Ward.
The film is set in New York City. A climatologist by the name of Jack Hall tries to warn the city’s inhabitants of an impending new ice age. However, nobody believes him, and he escapes a mugging. The next day, while Jack is in the Arctic on a research trip, a massive storm strikes the city. It splits the ice shelf and sends a huge chunk of it into the ocean.
This creates a tsunami that strikes Manhattan and New York, flooding the city. Jack realizes that the global warming he has been warning about is happening, and the storm is only the beginning. The story unfolds with much suspense. The film depicts New York city in total loss due to the disaster.
This movie combines all the natural disasters into one, making it one of the best movies about disasters.
The film’s record-breaking popularity has induced fans to search for similar movies in the category. So, to make the search easy, we have this article on movies like “The Day After Tomorrow.”
We have listed down the best disaster movies filled with action, adventure, sci-fi, and thrillers for you. So, let’s get started!
Into the Storm (2014)
Steven Quale’s “Into the Storm” is a 2014 American natural disaster film filled with action and adventure. The cast of the film includes Richard Armitage and Sarah Wayne Callies.
A series of tornadoes hit the town of Silverton, Oklahoma, where a group of people must fight for survival. Among them are storm chaser Max Hall (Armitage), his son Trey (Max Deacon), and his girlfriend Allison (Callies).
The others include her daughter Kaitlyn (Alicia Witt) and local high school students Donnie (Kyle Davis). As the storms intensify, the group puts their differences aside to survive.
If you liked the movie “The Day After Tomorrow,” surely you will love this movie. It has all the action and adventure you want in a natural disaster film.
“Into the Storm” is an excellent alternative if you’re looking for something similar to “The Day After Tomorrow.” It’s definitely worth watching if you’re a fan of this genre.
2012 (2009)
Roland Emmerich’s “2012” is an American sci-fi thriller apocalyptic disaster film. The film stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Thandiwe Newton.
If you’re a fan of natural disaster films, “2012” is definitely worth watching. The film follows geologist Adrian Helmsley and novelist Jackson Curtis. They go through many calamities, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and a global flood.
All of these events were predicted in advance, so it’s up to our heroes to save the day. “2012” is an exciting movie with plenty of action and adventure to keep you entertained. This is one of my all-time favorite disaster movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3FuTWbCr6M
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Ronald Neame’s “The Poseidon Adventure” is a 1972 American natural disaster film. It is based on Paul Gallico’s novel. The cast includes five Oscar winners including Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters, and Red Buttons.
Hackman plays chief engineer Mike Rogo, who must use all his ingenuity and courage to safely lead the group. Borgnine plays priest Frank Slattery, who provides spiritual guidance to the group.
Albertson plays wealthy businessman Martin Breacher, who clashes with Rogo over the best way to survive. Winters plays Mrs. Wilkes, a kindly widow who looks out for her fellow passengers. Red Buttons plays an electrician, Eddie Shaffer.
The film is about a luxury liner “Poseidon,” which is a ship. It capsizes on New Year’s Eve, and a group of people must battle the elements to escape the sinking ship. They soon discover that “Poseidon” is headed for the bottom of the ocean, and only a miracle can save them.
“The Poseidon Adventure” is an exciting movie with plenty of action and adventure, it is one of the best movies like “The Day After Tomorrow.”
Knowing (2009)
Alex Proyas’s “Knowing” is a 2009 American sci-fi thriller film. The cast includes Nicolas Cage as John Koestler, Rose Byrne as Diana, Chandler Canterbury as Caleb Koestler.
Ben Mendelsohn has worked with Phil Beckman, Lara Robinson as Abby / Lucinda, D.G. Maloney as The Stranger.
“Knowing” is about a school teacher named John Koestler who is visited by a stranger who hands him a piece of paper with numbers. Koestler soon realizes that these numbers are predictions of significant disasters. Only he and his son can stop them from happening. With the help of his son, Koestler races against time to prevent the world from ending.
This action-adventure and suspense-filled movie are like “The Day After Tomorrow.”
Meteor (1979)
Ronald Neame’s “Meteor” is a 1979 sci-fi disaster film. The cast includes Sean Connery as Dr. Paul Bradley, Natalie Wood as Tatiana Donskaya, Karl Malden as Harry Sherwood. The movie is inspired by a 1967 MIT report, Project Icarus.
When a colossal meteor shower threatens to destroy Earth, a team of scientists must find a way to stop it. Dr. Paul Bradley and his team have just one chance to save the planet.
With the help of Tatiana Donskaya, they build a giant laser that may be able to vaporize the meteors before they reach Earth. But things don’t go as planned, and the team must fight for their lives to save the planet.
The disaster movie is very similar to “The Day After Tomorrow” in terms of thrill and suspense. This is one of the best choices if you love sci-fi thriller movies.
Armageddon (1998)
Michael Bay’s “Armageddon” is a 1998 American sci-fi disaster film. The cast includes Bruce Willis as Harry S. Stamper, Billy Bob Thornton as Dan Truman, Ben Affleck as A.J. Frost.
When an asteroid the size of Texas is hurtling towards Earth, the U.S. govt recruits a team of astronauts. These astronauts have to detonate a nuclear bomb inside the asteroid, splitting it in two. Harry Stamper is the best oil driller globally, and he’s been chosen to lead the team.
He assembles a team of experts and travels to the asteroid to drill into it and plant the bomb. But they only have 18 days to do it, and the asteroid is moving faster than they thought. With time running out, Stamper and his team have to overcome impossible odds to save the planet.
The cast has done an incredible job, Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thronton made the characters come real.
This film is filled with a lot of action-adventure and suspense. It’s perfect for those who love sci-fi, thriller, and disaster movies.
Pompeii (2014)
Paul W. S. Anderson’s “Pompeii” is a 2014 romantic historical disaster movie. It stars Kit Harington as Milo, Dylan Schombing as young Milo, Emily Browning as Cassia, daughter to Severus, and Aurelia.
It’s an international co-production between the United States, Germany, and Canada. It is based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. that destroyed Pompeii, a city of the Roman Empire.
Milo, a skilled and fearless gladiator, has his world turned upside down when he meets Cassia. She is the beautiful daughter of a wealthy senator. When the two fall in love, they are forced to run for their lives after her father discovers their affair.
Milo has to fight for his life in the arena to save her. When Mount Vesuvius erupts, he has to race to escape the city before it’s too late. With time running out, Milo and Cassia must do whatever it takes to survive.
It’s a combination of love and thrill. You will never get bored and will enjoy every bit of it. If you are a fan of movies like “The Day After Tomorrow,” this one is a must-watch.
28 Days Later (2002)
Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” is a 2002 British horror movie. Starring Cillian Murphy as Jim, Naomie Harris as Selena, Brendan Gleeson as Frank, Megan Burns as Hannah.
It is about a group of scientists in a lab experiment gone wrong. A virus spreads through the population, turning people into blood-thirsty zombies. Jim is one of the few survivors, and he must find a way to escape London before the zombies overrun the city.
He meets up with a small group of survivors, including Selena and Frank, and they try to find a way to escape. But the zombies are everywhere, and it’s only a matter of time before they are all killed. Can Jim and his friends find safety before it’s too late?
The movie is related to a pandemic which will be relatable to viewers. However, it’s different, and Zombies will be seen chasing humans instead of coronavirus.
If you are looking for thrill and suspense in a movie like “The Day After Tomorrow,” don’t miss “28 Days Later.” It’s worth watching.
The Invasion (2007)
Oliver Hirschbiegel’s “The Invasion” is a 2007 American sci-fi horror movie. The cast includes Nicole Kidman as Dr. Carol Bennell, Daniel Craig as Dr. Ben Driscoll, Jeremy Northam as Tucker Kaufman.
Dr. Bennell is a psychiatrist who notices that her patients exhibit strange behavior. She soon realizes that they are all infected with a virus that turns them into aliens.
Dr. Bennell and Dr. Ben Driscoll try to find a way to stop the invasion. He has to save the world from these creatures.
They also have to find a way to save their own lives, as the aliens are determined to kill them all. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep you glued to the screen until the very end. For fans of movies like “The Day After Tomorrow”, “The Invasion” is a sci-fi thriller to watch.
Birdbox (2018)
Susanne Bier’s “Bird Box” is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic horror thriller. It is based on the 2014 novel by Josh Malerman. It was streamed on Netflix and became the most-watched movie on Netflix within a short release time.
The cast includes Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes, Trevante Rhodes as Tom, Jacki Weaver as Cheryl.
Sandra Bullock is Malorie Hayes, a woman trying to survive in a world taken over by monsters. These monsters can only be seen by those infected with a virus, and they are determined to kill anyone who sees them. Malorie must protect her children and find a way to escape the city before it’s too late.
We recommend this new entry to the list for those interested in this disaster thriller like “The Day After Tomorrow.”
Crawl (2019)
Alexandre Aja’s “Crawl” is a 2019 American natural horror movie. The cast includes Kaya Scodelario as Haley Keller, Barry Pepper as Dave Keller
The movie is about Haley (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant college swimmer. She searched for her father, Dave (Barry Pepper), as a category 5 hurricane struck Florida. She goes to their family’s former home in a flooded coastal town, where she finds him unconscious in a crawl space beneath the premises.
It’s not just the hurricane that Haley and Dave must face, but two giant alligators have moved into the crawl space. As the water rises and more alligators enter the streets, the father and daughter attempt to flee.
By the way, if you have a phobia of alligators, “Crawl” will make your worst nightmares come true, while if you don’t, the film will provide cause to believe so.
Greenland (2020)
Ric Roman Waugh’s is a 2020 American disaster thriller film. It stars Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, David Denman as Ralph Vento.
“Greenland” is about the story of John (Gerard Butler) and Allison Garrity (Morena Baccarin) and their diabetic son. The family must save themselves when a comet called Clarke approaches Earth. As smaller pieces of Clarke hit the globe, demolishing cities worldwide. The Garrity tries to discover an underground bunker in Greenland to hide.
Earthquake (1974)
Director Mark Robson’s “Earthquake” is a 1974 American disaster film. The cast includes Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, George Kennedy.
In “Earthquake,” a large earthquake hits Los Angeles and destroys the city. The incident kills a lot of people and leaves the city in ruins. The survivors must find a way to survive and rebuild their lives.
This is an intense and emotional movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat. It’s a must-watch for fans of movies like “The Day After Tomorrow.”
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