With rain wreaking havoc in many parts of India, here we bring you 6 natural disaster movies that will prove to you just how dangerous Nature can be. It is a fact that once Nature takes up arms, nothing that comes in its way can survive. From floods to tornadoes to earthquakes to tsunamis, all of these have claimed the lives of millions and destroyed property worth billions. And the only thing we can do when the weather report warns us about it is prepare for the worst.
In this article, we will be talking about different kinds of natural disasters that are used as elements if not characters in the story. Each of the movies is of a different kind and will surely give you the rush of adrenaline and thrill while hitting you with a “wave” of emotions. Mind you, some of them have after-effects too.
6 Natural Disaster Movies
Parasite (2019)
The winner of numerous Academy Awards in 2019, director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite masterfully incorporates a natural disaster in this Korean dark comedy thriller. Flash floods resulting from rainfall, in Ahyeon-dong, Seoul, destroy apartments. But more than being a force of Nature, the rain acts as a symbol, one of relief for the rich but of tragedy for the poor. One of the film’s climactic scenes, the flood scene, is emotionally very intense and adds to the overall mood in a most apt manner.
Kedarnath (2018)
Kedarnath, a Hindi film directed by Abhishek Kapoor, tells the story of Mukku (Sara Ali Khan), a Hindu girl who makes a pilgrimage to the Kedarnath Temple situated in the Uttarakhand Mountains. On the way up, she meets Mansoor (Sushant Singh Rajput), who is a Muslim porter and guide. The movie showcases the devastating Uttarakhand floods of 2013 in which more than 6000 people lost their lives, and more than 300,000 were trapped in the valleys. Kapoor builds a narrative by putting the calamity face to face with a relationship that is unacceptable by society.
Tum Mile (2009)
Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai floods of 2005, Tum Mile is a Hindi romantic disaster flick directed by Kunal Deshmukh. Featuring Emraan Hashmi as Akshay and Soha Ali Khan as Sanjana, the movie travels between the past and present via flashbacks. While it tells us the story of Akshay and Sanjana and their relationship in the past, the present shows them trying to survive the floods, along with the rest of Mumbai, after which they reunite.
Into the Storm (2014)
The worst part of a storm is that no one can tell when it will pick up its speed. Things can get from bad to worse within minutes if not seconds. In a single day, Silverton town is turned upside down by not one but multiple tornadoes. Shot in the form of found footage i.e. video recordings, director Steven Quale’s Into the Storm explores a storm from multiple perspectives; storm-chasers, amateurs craving thrill, people seeking shelter and those who are helping others to safety amid Nature’s onslaught. The sheer fear of getting blown away or sucked into the tornadoes that the movie manages to instil cannot be ignored.
Hard Rain (1998)
An armoured truck. 3 million dollars cash to transfer. A dam has been shut down due to heavy rain. A robber. These pretty much set the stage for what’s one of the few true-to-form action disaster movies. Director Mikael Salomon’s Hard Rain features Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and Randy Quaid. If you are a sucker for action more than anything else, this natural disaster movie is for you.
The Impossible (2012)
Inspired by Maria Belon and her story of surviving the 2004’s tsunami in Khao Lak, Thailand, with her husband and three kids, The Impossible is my favourite disaster movie that nails its emotional quotient. Starring the great Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and a very young Tom Holland, the movie shows how the family gets separated and how they find each other in the aftermath.
Which of these 6 natural disaster movies have you seen? Let us know in the comments below.
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