5 best disaster movies to watch after 'Twisters'

Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones sit on the hood of a truck in "Twisters"
(Image credit: Universal/Warner Bros.)

Going by the early reactions to "Twisters", Lee Isaac Chung's legacy sequel is about to be one of the blockbusters to beat this summer. Critics are gushing about the disaster flick, and if the movie's as big a hit at the box office, there's a solid chance many viewers will be looking for more chaos very soon.

If you've already seen "Twisters" and have an appetite for more chaos,  we've got you covered on every (weather) front and beyond. Over the years, the human race has faced everything from F5 tornadoes, tsunamis and flash freezes to giant earthquakes to more extraterrestrial threats like Texas-sized asteroids and otherworldly beings on the silver screen.

If you left the movie theater looking for more films that document the destructive power of nature (or forces beyond nature, for that matter), here are the five best movies to watch after "Twisters." 

'Geostorm' 

GEOSTORM - OFFICIAL TEASER [HD] - YouTube GEOSTORM - OFFICIAL TEASER [HD] - YouTube
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"Geostorm" is a sci-fi disaster movie helmed by Dean Devlin and starring Gerard Butler as a satellite designer, Jake Lawson. 

Following a series of natural disasters (caused by climate change), world governments united to create "Dutch Boy", a network of satellites equipped with geoengineering tech that is capable of staving off future events. Just a few years down the line, the Dutch Boy network begins to malfunction.

When that network starts to malfunction and a series of "accidents" start to occur, Jake and his estranged brother Max enter a race against time to discover the cause before a cataclysmic, worldwide "Geostorm" can devastate the planet.

Rent/buy on Amazon

'Moonfall'

Moonfall (2022 Movie) Official Trailer – Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley - YouTube Moonfall (2022 Movie) Official Trailer – Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley - YouTube
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Okay, I'll admit that this is a bit of a left-field pick, but Rolan Emmerich's most recent blockbuster simply has to be seen to be believed, even if it didn't win many critics over upon release in 2022. 

The movie sees planet Earth teetering on the brink of disaster when a swarm of alien tech burrows into the Moon, an event witnessed only by the subsequently-disgraced astronaut, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson). A decade later, Brian and his former colleague Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) end up teaming up with a conspiracy theorist (John Bradley). The Moon has continued to veer towards Earth, causing all manner of chaos, so a mission is mounted to correct the moon's orbit and, secondly, to confront the alien threat. 

If you think that sounds wild, and that things couldn't possibly get any weirder than that ... well, you've clearly not seen "Moonfall" yet.

Rent/buy on Amazon

'San Andreas'

San Andreas - Official Trailer 2 [HD] - YouTube San Andreas - Official Trailer 2 [HD] - YouTube
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"San Andreas" sees us heading on a dangerous rescue mission with helicopter pilot, Raymond "Ray" Gaines (Dwayne Johnson). Seismologists note that the entire San Andreas Fault is shifting and they scramble to warn the population. Soon, the entire state of California is struck by a string of terrifying earthquakes all along the fault. 

Amid the carnage, Ray has to mount a dangerous rescue mission to save his estranged wife, Emma (Carla Gugino) before heading to San Francisco with Emma in tow to save their daughter as the quakes continue to cause more havoc. 

Watch on Max

'The Day After Tomorrow'

The Day After Tomorrow | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX - YouTube The Day After Tomorrow | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX - YouTube
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Another Roland Emmerich release (and still one of the director's best), "The Day After Tomorrow" sees the world turning its back on climatologist Jack Hall's (Dennis Quaid) claims that ongoing climate change has placed the planet on the brink of utter disaster.

Tragically, Hall's predictions come true as freak weather events erupt across the globe, plunging much of Earth into a new ice age. As people scramble to escape to the warmer southern hemisphere, Jack mounts a cross-country trek from Washington to New York City after he learns that his son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is trapped with his friends.

Watch on Hulu

'Twister'

Twister (1996) | 4K Ultra HD Official Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment - YouTube Twister (1996) | 4K Ultra HD Official Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment - YouTube
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OK, if all you want is another tornado flick, then you should seek out Jan de Bont's 1996 "Twisters" predecessor ... "Twister." Whether you knew "Twisters" was a standalone sequel or not, the original movie's just as thrilling today as it was decades ago. 

The action-packed original sees an ensemble that includes an estranged couple —meteorologist Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and storm-chaser turned weatherman, Bill Paxton (Bill Harding) — trying to deploy a revolutionary piece of tech that could change tornado research for good. The problem is, they've got to set it up dangerously close to the tornadoes themselves during an outbreak in Oklahoma, including the terrifying F5 tornado.

Watch on Max

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Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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