11 Best Movies Like Twisters

There's no denying that "Twisters" blew everyone away at the box office. With an impressive cast that includes Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos, the 2024 disaster flick is far better than anyone expected. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, "Twisters" follows two rival groups of storm chasers as they race to get to the next developing cyclone, hoping to either profit from or educate people about these natural disasters. 

With plenty of heart and thrilling action peppered throughout, it's easy to see why folks gravitated to this Hollywood blockbuster. While technically a legacy sequel to 1996's "Twister," the 2024 film stands on its own and can be easily enjoyed without having seen the original. But if the ending of "Twisters" left you craving more storm-chasing drama, then we have some good news for you: There are plenty of great disaster pictures out there that highlight the true carnage of violent weather phenomena such as tornadoes, along with a few non-weather-related tentpoles that you will probably enjoy if "Twisters" was up your (tornado) alley. 

While some of the films on this list delve into science fiction territory (or even straight-up fantasy) rather than strict science fact, they will still just as easily entertain. Just be sure to hunker down and find shelter if you hear those tornado sirens for real.

While he's probably best known these days for his work on the "Transformers" franchise, arguably one of director Michael Bay's most notable blockbusters is 1998's "Armageddon." This high-concept disaster flick puts blue-collar workers in the spotlight, with the entire world relying on a group of oil drillers to save them. Save them from what? It turns out that an asteroid the size of Texas is on its way to Earth, and the end seems to be near. No, there aren't any tornadoes here, but if the blue-collar leanings of "Twisters" and the threat of total calamity are appealing to you, then "Armageddon" should be your next watch.

Despite receiving poor reviews from critics, the 1998 thrill-ride was a serious hit with audiences and a massive box office success. No doubt, the stacked cast that includes Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Patton, Liv Tyler, and Owen Wilson (and that's not even all) didn't hurt either. "Armageddon" is about a half hour longer than "Twisters," but it doesn't feel that way. Everything you love about a great action movie can be found here, and it's a motion picture that, to quote that famous Aerosmith song, you won't "wanna miss a thing" while watching.

If you thought "Twisters" was the only major tornado-centric thriller to find its way to theaters in the 21st century, then you may have forgotten about 2014's "Into the Storm." While perhaps not as memorable, this disaster film is especially notable due to its use of found footage, making the whole thing feel a bit more frightening and down-to-earth. Comedian Matt Walsh stars as Pete Moore, a long-time storm-chaser who aims to infiltrate a twister with Titus, his set of wheels exclusively built for such a risky adventure. But that's not all. When vice principal Gary Fuller (Richard Armitage) learns that his son has been trapped beneath a building during the storm, he does everything in his power to come to his rescue.

What "Into the Storm" might lack in clever writing it more than makes up for in its action sequences. Every time a new twister arrives, the danger becomes more real. Forbes' Scott Mendelson wrote in his review that, "The special effects work is basically flawless" — and he's absolutely right. The special effects alone are seriously impressive, and combined with the found footage style of filmmaking, it creates an atmosphere of pure terror. "Twisters" may be the better movie with a far stronger cast (even if Sarah Wayne Callies kills it here), but what "Into the Storm" was able to achieve on a modest $50 million budget (compared to the $155 million of "Twisters") is nothing to laugh at.

As far as disaster movies go, few filmmakers thrive so well in portraying total devastation as director Roland Emmerich. 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow" took the growing fears of global warming and climate change and shoved them powerfully into a disaster film that chronicles the beginning of a new ice age. After the world falls into an unstoppable climate crisis, all the survivors can do is continue to live on in a dark new world from which there is no return. The emotional crux here is Dennis Quaid's Jack Hall as he attempts to rescue his son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), and his friends, who are trapped in New York City after the massive superstorm isolates them.

While there are a few tornadoes present here, the ultimate effects of "The Day After Tomorrow" are far icier in nature. As the storm surge soon becomes a polar vortex, Sam and his friends have no choice but to hunker down as they try to survive, though their chances don't look good. Thankfully, Dennis Quaid is on the case and won't rest until he knows his son is safe. A major box office success, "The Day After Tomorrow" was something of a forerunner to Emmerich's later film, "2012," which followed a similar cataclysmic premise. Yet if we were to choose between the two, the 2004 blockbuster is the far more exciting adventure.

If you're looking for a storm-fueled movie that's a bit closer to reality than what you might find in "Twisters," then "The Perfect Storm" is, well, the perfect drama for you. Based on the creative non-fiction book of the same name by Sebastian Junger, the 2000 picture recounts the events of the historic 1991 hurricane — Hurricane Grace — that collided with a swordfishing vessel called the Andrea Gail. As the poster notes, the film chronicles a weather event that "had never occurred in recorded history." That alone merits a watch. If you consider hurricanes the tornadoes of the sea, then this one should be a no-brainer.

Even better, each of the crew members — played by a remarkable cast that includes George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, and William Fichtner — have their own personal drama to work through while dealing with the life-threatening dangers around them. With high tensions and an even higher desire to return home, the Andrea Gail goes through hell as the crew seeks to merely survive the storm. Whether or not they do isn't something we'll spoil here, but keep some tissues nearby just in case. As The Boston Globe's Jay Carr noted in his review, "'The Perfect Storm' is much more than a seagoing 'Twister,'" so don't expect the same old thing with this disaster flick.

One of two volcano-centric disaster movies to hit theaters in 1997 (including the aptly titled "Volcano"), "Dante's Peak" reunited producer Gale Anne Hurd and "Terminator" star Linda Hamilton for their third collaboration. The film adds former James Bond legend Pierce Brosnan to the mix for a fiery drama about a long-dormant volcano that wakes up, terrorizing the people of the fictional Dante's Peak, Washington (which is really Wallace, Idaho). 

Brosnan is volcanologist Harry Dalton this time around, who warns Mayor Rachel Wando (Hamilton) that destruction is imminent. Of course, he's right, and the townspeople are soon plummeted into an inferno that they can only hope to escape alive — if only they had listened sooner.

Compared to some of the more fantastical disaster movies on this list, "Dante's Peak" isn't too far off from the reality of stratovolcano dangers. Even if it weren't terribly accurate, "Dante's Peak" would still make for a dramatic picture with strong leads and an even stronger grasp on the spontaneous dangers of the Cascade Range that runs along the Pacific Northwest. "Twisters" fans will likely enjoy the dynamic between Brosnan and Hamilton's characters, as well as their lofty goals to save as many townsfolk as they can amid the all-out carnage. They may not be Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones, but they're the perfect pair for this smoky apocalypse.

Admittedly the odd one out on this list, "Top Gun: Maverick" earns its spot here for a few reasons. For starters, "Maverick," like "Twisters," is a rare legacy sequel that delivers on the premise in a refreshing way that, while similar to the original, feels different enough to justify its existence. 

Additionally, Glen Powell's strong presence in both films may draw some audiences to "Top Gun: Maverick" even if Tom Cruise isn't your favorite action star. Oh, and did we mention that "Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski also received a story credit for "Twisters"? These connections alone warrant a watch — and if you're worried about needing to see "Top Gun" first, don't be. "Maverick" works just as well without the added context.

However, perhaps the biggest reason someone who loved "Twisters" may be drawn to "Top Gun: Maverick" is because it feels like a traditional Hollywood blockbuster in all the right ways. With a strong cast of well-rounded and interesting characters, a basic premise that doesn't bog down the material, and an abundance of action and adventure to glue you to your seat, "Maverick" is a clear winner. While some claim that "Top Gun: Maverick" ruined the whole movie industry, the truth is that tentpoles don't get much better than this.

Another oddball pick, "Independence Day" is not about natural disasters, but rather extraterrestrial-made ones. If you loved "Twisters" because it was about seemingly normal, everyday folks who are quickly transported into a life-altering series of fantastic events, then you'll probably love "Independence Day" too. Yes, it's about alien invaders, but that shouldn't detract you. The aliens are only the backdrop to the deeply human tales about love, loss, and the perseverance of the human spirit in the wake of an impossible tragedy. With a memorable cast that includes Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Vivica A. Fox in career-defining roles, this is a blockbuster worth revisiting every Fourth of July.

Just as "Twisters" is a legacy sequel, so too did "Independence Day" receive one of its own in 2016. However, "Independence Day: Resurgence" wasn't anything to write home about — in fact, it was so bad they had to cancel the sequel. Because of that, don't worry about continuing beyond the initial "ID4," as the 1996 Roland Emmerich movie has more than enough excitement (extraterrestrial or otherwise) to go around. It's also just loads of fun, and a highly-quotable space opera with one of the best fictional U.S. presidents ever put to screen. While there are no tornadoes to be seen here, strong winds still factor into this alien invasion.

Another disaster picture that leans more into science fiction than fact, "The Core" follows geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) and his team as they discover that our planet's own molten core has stopped rotating altogether. Unsurprisingly, this will eventually lead to the cataclysmic end of all mankind. The only hope for Earth is that Keyes and his team can dig their way down to the core, where they will set off a chain reaction of nuclear explosions that will (hopefully) get it spinning again. Yes, it's an outlandish premise, and sure, the plot's heavy use of a metal called "unobtainium" is less than believable, but with a strong cast and a fun concept, "The Core" has real promise.

Despite its mostly negative reviews, "The Core" is a good time. Though you might want to count it alongside some of the best guilty pleasure movies out there, there is enough suspense and danger to keep both the characters and the audience thoroughly engaged until the credits roll. As Roger Ebert stated in his review, "I have such an unreasonable affection for ['The Core'], indeed, that it is only by slapping myself alongside the head and drinking black coffee that I can restrain myself from recommending it." If that isn't sufficient to get you to consider this sci-fi yarn, we don't know what is.

If your favorite part of "Twisters" is the natural disaster of it all, then you may enjoy "Geostorm," even if nobody else did. While not as spectacular as "The Day After Tomorrow" or as emotionally engaging as "Twisters," "Geostorm" is one of those flicks that you just can't look away from. Helmed by longtime screenwriter and producer Dean Devlin in his directorial debut, the sci-fi disaster film centers on a host of climate-controlling satellites that begin to malfunction, tossing the entire world into mass panic and pandemonium. As a diverse cast of characters from around the globe put their lives on the line to save human civilization from extinction, we wonder how they can possibly succeed.

With longtime action star Gerard Butler in the lead role, "Geostorm" presents a world where the problem of climate change has been solved by man-made means, only to be thrown into further chaos the moment that solution fails. An interesting premise aside, there's nothing terribly novel about this action thriller. It's exactly what you may expect if you've seen the trailer, but there's enough excitement and impressive CGI that we had no choice but to add it to the list. And don't worry, there are plenty of tornadoes to go around.

For as many "The Wizard of Oz" references as there are peppered throughout "Twisters" (and rightly so), we just had to add it to this list. If you haven't already seen this 1939 classic, you should know that not only was "Oz" heroine Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) the character template for Daisy Edgar-Jones' Kate Carter in "Twisters," but the thematic similarities between the films — such as the lead's desires to find their way home after a tornado incident — further connect these stories. While "The Wizard of Oz" is a musical fantasy rather than a disaster epic like "Twisters," both movies are entertaining for the whole family.

The Midwestern aesthetics of both films (when Dorothy isn't in Oz, that is) offer differing viewpoints on Americana, with "Oz" taking place during the Great Depression and "Twisters" during a modern period of economic uncertainty. Of course, that's not at all the point of "The Wizard of Oz." Any socio-economic issues fall quickly by the wayside as Dorothy is transported from the sepia-toned world of Kansas to the vibrant, colorful, and fantastical world of Oz — and, frankly, that's exactly the sort of thing we long for whenever we go to the movies, too.

You knew this one was coming. We couldn't highlight other movies like "Twisters" without also recommending the original 1996 tornado flick. While "Twister" and "Twisters" take place in the same world — as made evident by the Dorothy device used in both — they aren't connected in the same way that many legacy sequels are to the original material. The aforementioned "Top Gun: Maverick" still calls back to the original "Top Gun," continuing the stories of its primary cast. "Twisters," however, largely leaves the original film behind, though not because it isn't worth watching. Indeed, "Twister" is a classic disaster movie, one with a phenomenal cast that elevates the material far higher than it deserves.

Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt play estranged married couple Bill and Jo Harding, who have split due to the latter's obsession with understanding tornadoes after witnessing her father's horrific death when she was a child. Yet over the course of their reunion, Bill and Jo find common ground amidst a storm chase that threatens to kill them too if they aren't more careful. While fairly similar to 2024's "Twisters," the original 1996 picture isn't one you'll want to miss, especially if violent windstorms and spicy relationship drama is your cup of tea. If you have seen it before and it's been a few years, rest assured that a rewatch will prove that "Twister" comes across completely different now then it did back then.