Summary

• Twisters is the highly anticipated legacy sequel to 1996's Twister, bringing back the classic man vs. nature genre with new characters.
• Geostorm and Into the Storm offer similar disaster spectacle to Twisters, with massive storms threatening the planet and towns.
• Before watching Twisters in July 2024, check out The Poseidon Adventure and The Day After Tomorrow for more weather disaster classics.

Twisters is finally on the way, and here are 10 of the best weather disaster movies to tide viewers over who are waiting on the film. Twisters is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024, with the legacy sequel bringing back the Twister franchise for another round. The film is bringing back the classic genre of man vs. nature, with it exploring a new group of characters as they face off with multiple instances of the titular weather event. With the film not releasing until July 2024, here are 10 similar movies to watch before seeing Twisters.

Twisters is the sequel to the classic 1996 movie Twister, with it following a group of storm chasers as a particularly nasty system of tornadoes ravages Oklahoma. Twisters features a star-studded cast of actors like Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, with the new generation of Twister stars taking the reigns from the classic cast. The spectacle of Twisters' weather disaster is one of the film's biggest draws, and here are 10 other movies that provide that same hook.

10 Twister

1996

For fans excited to see the sequel who just can't wait a few more months for some great tornado action, the most obvious pick for a substitute film is the original Twister. Released in 1996, Twister stars Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, with them playing storm chasers who are attempting to gather data on the titular twister using an all-new device.

Due to both films existing in the same franchise, seeing Twister before watching Twisters is an obvious pick. It isn't known how connected the two Twister films will be, with the sequel tarring all-new characters and seeming to take place many years after the original. However, since Twisters is technically a sequel to the original Twister, it only makes sense to check it out before the legacy sequel is released in July.

9 Geostorm

2017

Another weather disaster movie that made a big splash in theaters in recent years is 2017's Geostorm, with it kicking the weather disaster genre up to a whole new level. The film is set in a world in which Earth has built a security system of satellites designed to protect the planet from weather disasters. However, something goes wrong and the satellites begin attacking Earth, unleashing an onslaught of weather disasters onto the planet.

Geostorm stars Gerard Butler and, while it wasn't a critical hit, the wacky premise and massive scale mean that the movie can deliver some of the same disaster spectacle moments as Twisters. The film is packed full of disaster weather events that lead to all kinds of destruction, making it a fun time for fans of the genre who are looking for this element.

8 The Day After Tomorrow

2004

One of the most popular natural disaster movies of all time is 2004's The Day After Tomorrow, with it exploring weather events that could lead to the destruction of Earth. The film sees a superstorm appear as the product of climate change, with it having a devastating effect on Earth. Because of this, a group of climate scientists have to travel to New York to save their friend who has become stuck due to the storm, with them running into the fallout of the weather event throughout their journey.

The Day After Tomorrow stars Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, and a variety of other stars, with its major cast making it comparable to Twisters. However, The Day After Tomorrow explores weather events that are far more significant than a handful of tornadoes, with multiple natural disasters occurring throughout the film.

7 Greenland

2020

Geostorm isn't the only movie that focuses on Gerard Butler attempting to survive a natural disaster weather event, as the 2020 film Greenland also follows an incredibly similar story. Greenland sees Gerard Butler's character take his family on a journey to find safety after learning that a comet with the capacity to destroy Earth is headed right toward the planet. As they eventually find out, the home of a military evacuation site may be their one safe haven, with it being in Greenland.

Despite its similarities to other films, Greenland was a surprisingly well-received film by critics, with it getting positive reviews across the board. While the COVID-19 Pandemic did overshadow the film's release, the Gerard Butler movie does show off a lot of natural disaster spectacle, with the unique comet storyline making it stand out within the genre.

6 Into The Storm

2014

Twisters is a film about multiple tornadoes ravaging Oklahoma, but Into the Storm proves that the sequel isn't the only film to do this. The 2014 action movie sees several tornadoes appear in the town of Silverton, with the film following a group of storm chasers as they attempt to track down the dangerous weather phenomenon and document it.

Into the Storm is a pretty obvious continuation of the story structure set up by the original Twister, with its story almost making it seem like a sequel to the original film. Due to Into the Storm and Twisters having almost the exact same premise, it is perfect for viewers who can't wait to see the Glen Powell movie. The film stars Richard Armitage as its main character, with this being one of many reasons that viewers should check out Into the Storm.

5 The Wave

2015

Moving away from tornadoes and twisters, another popular type of weather occurrence that appears in these natural disaster movies is tsunamis, something that is perfectly explored in 2015's The Wave. The film follows the residents of a small Norwegian town as they learn that a tsunami is headed their way, with the titular wave devastating the town. The movie explores the occurrence of the tsunami and its aftermath, with the tragic film highlighting the damage that these waves can cause.

Unlike some of the other films on this list, The Wave is a more grounded example of a weather disaster movie, with it truly showing off the destructive capacity of tsunamis. This is often held up as the best tsunami movie, with the acclaim that the film received upon its release making it an instant classic within the genre.

4 The Poseidon Adventure

1972

Although weather disaster movies are more common now due to them oftentimes requiring the use of heavy computer-generated imagery, this isn't always the case. In fact, an early example of a weather disaster movie that is still beloved today is 1972's The Poseidon Adventure. The film follows a group of engers on a ship who have to deal with the damage after a massive tidal wave hits the vessel, killing its captain and much of its crew and making chances of survival seem slim.

The Poseidon Adventure is one of the best and most popular movies from 1972, with the film being one of the best early disaster movies. Plenty of modern weather films have cited The Poseidon Adventure as an inspiration, meaning that the influential movie should be seen before Twisters releases in July.

3 The Perfect Storm

2000

Sticking with sea-based weather disaster films, another great example of the genre is the 2000 film The Perfect Storm. Unlike many of the movies on this list, The Perfect Storm is a true story, with it telling the story of how the Andrea Gail became lost at sea during the Perfect Storm of 1991. After three waterfronts collide on Halloween of 1991, several fishing ships are battered by the brutal storm system, with the film following the Andrea Gail as its crew attempts to secure survival in the face of certain death.

The Perfect Storm features major stars like George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, with the ensemble cast all playing characters that are put in immense danger by the Perfect Storm. Due to the true nature of the story, The Perfect Storm is perfectly able to show how dangerous these theatrical weather events can be, something that Twister hoped to do originally.

2 Crawl

2019

2019's Crawl is an interesting film, as it manages to mix a monster movie with a weather disaster movie, creating a truly unique experience. The film follows a young girl who travels back to Florida in the wake of a hurricane in an attempt to help her father. However, she quickly finds herself being hunted by a pack of massive alligators, creating even more danger than she initially had expected.

Despite the premise not sounding like it, Crawl was actually a massive critical success, with it being one of the most beloved horror movies of 2019. While it may not be a traditional weather disaster movie, the film is still a lot of fun. While a movie like Twisters may use its real weather footage as part of its marketing, Crawl's heightened premise takes the genre in a different but still great direction.

1 Sharknado

2013

Before seeing Twisters, it only makes sense for viewers to check out one of the weirdest yet most popular weather disaster movies of all time: Sharknado. Ever since the original film was released in 2013, the Sharknado movie franchise has been highly talked about, with the wacky premise of a school of sharks getting stuck in a tornado combining two of the biggest staples of disaster movies.

While Sharknado may vary wildly from the tone and quality of Twisters, viewers looking to get a fun disaster movie that doesn't take itself seriously can't find a better candidate of Sharknado. Sharknado and Twisters are two different flavors of the same idea, meaning that audience can watch Sharknado and have a lot of fun without losing any desire to see Twisters when it is finally released.