I'm a big fan of disaster movies. From major blockbusters like 2012 to the obscure, straight-to-streaming flicks, I've probably seen them all. Yet somehow, I missed one along the way: "Dante's Peak." Despite being released just a few months before "Volcano," one of my personal favorites, I never thought much about skipping it.
It’s easy to dismiss "Dante's Peak" as just another disaster thriller, but I’m surprised I hadn’t seen it sooner. Sure, it’s also about a volcano, but it’s slightly more refined than the over-the-top chaos of "Volcano" while still delivering its share of eyebrow-raising, impossible scenes, as any good disaster movie should.
What is 'Dante's Peak' about?
The film kicks off with a volcanic eruption, introducing volcanologist Dr. Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan). He rushes home to meet his fiancée, Marianne (Walker Brandt), hoping to escape the chaos together. But as Harry drives through the fiery destruction, a lava bomb hits their car, tragically killing Marianne.
After this intense opening, the pace slows. We jump ahead four years to the small town of Dante's Peak, Washington, where Mayor Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton) is celebrating Money magazine recognizing them as the second-best small town in America. During the festivities, she crosses paths with Harry, who’s been sent to investigate unusual seismic activity in the area.
Rachel brings Harry along with her two children and her mother-in-law, Ruth (Elizabeth Hoffman), to explore the volcano’s surroundings. It quickly becomes clear something is wrong: dead animals and trees litter the area, springs bubble at dangerous temperatures, and Harry even discovers two people boiled to death in the water.
Compared to "Volcano," Dante's Peak" takes its scientific monitoring seriously. Harry reports his findings to his supervisor, Dr. Paul Dreyfus (Charles Hallahan), and urges him to alert the town. But Paul and his team are skeptical. When they investigate firsthand, they still don’t see the volcano as an imminent threat.
Amid this, a subtle romance develops between Rachel and Harry. It’s more a hint of what could be than a full-blown love story. The tension ramps up when Harry is asked to leave due to “insufficient evidence,” only for the situation to escalate dramatically when sulfur dioxide contaminates the town’s water supply. Soon after, seismic activity spikes, and evacuation becomes urgent.
A town meeting ensues, with Rachel and Harry pleading with the residents to leave before it’s too late. For disaster movie buffs, this scene evokes the 1981 TV movie St. Helens, where nearby citizens initially refused to evacuate—a nod to the real-life eruption.
Then the volcano erupts, leaving little time for escape. In the ensuing chaos, Harry and Rachel race home to find her children, who have gone back for their stubborn grandmother. From here, the “will they or won’t they survive” tension kicks into full gear, and the film finally sheds its slower, setup-heavy pacing.
Why you should watch 'Dante's Peak'
Despite its slower start, I thoroughly enjoyed "Dante's Peak." While Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton don’t have the same fiery chemistry between Anne Heche and Tommy Lee Jones in "Volcano," they still complement each other well.
The film takes inspiration from the real eruption of Mount St. Helens, but it’s not bound by reality, leaving room for thrilling, over-the-top moments. I couldn’t help but relish the dramatic creativity: Harry driving across molten lava to rescue a dog, or the harrowing boat ride through a toxic, ash-filled river.
If you’re a disaster thriller fan who somehow missed "Dante's Peak," now’s the perfect time to catch it. It may be a bit slower than some of its contemporaries, but it delivers plenty of suspense, heart, and cinematic lava-filled chaos.
Stream "Dante's Peak" on Starz
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