Film

Avalanche

A 1978 disaster film about a ski resort catastrophe that strands vacationers in survival mode. It's earnest hokum with decent action sequences and a cast of recognizable faces doing their best with thin material. For fans of '70s disaster cinema who want spectacle over substance and don't mind creaky plotting.

TMDb rating1.8

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The Poseidon Adventure1972

The gold standard of '70s disaster films: a capsized ship, an ensemble cast, and genuine suspense. The set pieces are inventive and the stakes feel real in ways that elevate it beyond mere spectacle.

But It's two and a half hours, and the pacing sags between disasters. Some of the dialogue is aggressively earnest in ways that haven't aged well.

The Poseidon Adventure poster

Earthquake1974

Another peak disaster film with a strong ensemble and visceral destruction sequences. It commits fully to the premise and delivers on the promise of chaos and survival drama without apology.

But The gender dynamics are dated and uncomfortable. The acting can feel hammy, especially when characters are screaming.

Earthquake poster

The Towering Inferno1974

A fire in a skyscraper with an all-star cast and Oscar-winning special effects. It's the disaster film template, executed with style, and it understands how to build tension through obstacle-course storytelling.

But At over two hours, it dwells on melodrama between action beats. Some plot threads go nowhere.

The Towering Inferno poster

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Thing1982

Both trap people in hostile environments with nowhere to escape, but where Avalanche is about external threat, The Thing is about internal collapse—group dynamics poisoned by invisible danger. Same isolation, opposite infection.

An alien shapeshifter infiltrates a research station in Antarctica. It's survival and paranoia in extreme cold, with practical gore effects that still hold power. Carpenter's direction is economical and claustrophobic—the opposite of disaster spectacle, but the same core fear.

But It's violent and grotesque in ways that feel gratuitous. The isolated, paranoid tone can feel exhausting rather than thrilling.

The Thing poster
More like this (7)

Alive1993

A plane crash in the Andes, based on the true Uruguayan rugby team disaster. It's grounded, human-scaled survival drama with real stakes and genuine emotional weight beneath the adventure.

But The subject matter is heavy—starvation, death, moral compromise. It's less about thrills than endurance.

Alive poster

Airport 19751974

A 747 disabled mid-flight with a blind pilot and a stewardess in command. It's ridiculous fun with practical stunts and an unforgettable cast of character actors earning their paychecks.

But The dialogue is clunky and the romantic subplots are intrusive. It takes itself seriously in ways that undercut the absurdity.

Airport 1975 poster

Jaws1975

A great white shark terrorizes a beach town, and three men hunt it. It's the template for modern blockbuster suspense—lean, smart, and visually inventive, with genuine scares and humor in balance.

But It's been imitated relentlessly and its innovations feel familiar now. The shark animatronic shows its seams.

Jaws poster

The Last Shark1981

An Italian deep-sea shark film with a warped, nightmarish atmosphere. It's got real tension, committed performances, and an aesthetic that's distinctly strange—earnest even when absurd.

But It's a shameless Jaws cash-in with dubbing, wonky pacing, and some truly dodgy animal footage that will bother sensitive viewers.

The Last Shark poster

Dante's Peak1997

A volcano threatens a town, and a volcanologist must convince the authorities to evacuate. It's a disaster film made with modern craft and practical effects, with decent character work between eruptions.

But The subplot about the protagonist's estranged family drags. Some of the dialogue is aggressively saccharine.

Dante's Peak poster

Flood!1977

A dam threatens to burst and flood a city below. It's a British disaster film with solid craft, a good ensemble, and the modest charm of a country that doesn't usually make these movies.

But It's low-key and paced deliberately, which can feel slow. The spectacle is limited compared to American counterparts.

Flood! poster

Come and See1985

Both are survival narratives, but Come and See asks what survival means when everything around you is destroyed, including your capacity to feel hope. It takes the disaster premise to its logical, unbearable conclusion.

A Soviet film about a boy drawn into WWII combat. It's visually stunning and morally devastating—a film about survival that goes places Hollywood disaster films never dare, exploring what endurance actually costs.

But It is relentlessly bleak and violent in service of genuine artistic purpose. This is not escapism. It demands something from you.

Come and See poster

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When Time Ran Out..., Flood!