25+ Of The Best Disaster Filled Movies Like 2012 - Endless Popcorn
Scene from San Andreas for movies like 2012 post.

25+ Of The Best Disaster Filled Movies Like 2012

Scene from San Andreas for movies like 2012 post.

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Well, it looks like the movie 2012 was wrong! We’re years past that now and still, no world-ending disaster has taken place. So now it’s time to look at movies like 2012 and see if they have the answers to our future. Film-makers have loved to depict different catastrophes which could possibly end the world since the beginning of the cinema!

It ranges from alien invasions to the world freezing over into the next ice-age. There’s a countless number of films out there that give you different possible world-altering situations. These movies have always been able to keep us captivated and even put some fear into us knowing that some of these could become a reality one day! That’s why we have gone and gathered what we believe are the best movies like 2012 that will have you fearing possible futures we may face.

1.  War of the Worlds

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Starting off our selections of movies like 2012 we have an epic alien invasion scenario! Imagine going about your regular life and within seconds the world is thrown into chaos because of aliens invading! Though we don’t want this in real life it does make for a great movie!

War of the Worlds Movie Description

Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) doesn’t have the best relationship with his children Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When they are dropped off at his house for the weekend by his ex-wife, things get off to a rocky start.

Not long into their stay, a strong electromagnetic pulse knocks out the power leading Ray to investigate. He quickly realizes that this is the beginning of an alien invasion and must rush back home to grab the kids. His only priority now is to protect his children and get them to safety.

2.  Independence Day

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Next up we have another incredible alien invasion movie! We feel as though this is definitely one of the most horrifying way the world could come to an end. Would our technology even pose a threat to them!? According to this film we don’t stand a chance!

Independence Day Movie Description

On July 2nd, humans have received a strange unknown signal with unknown origins. Not long after, a giant alien ship begins to descend toward Earth with a bunch of smaller ones hovering over major cities.

Chaos erupts when the ships begin to demolish the cities. Any attempt to attack the ships has failed as human weapons can’t do any damage. When all hope seems to be lost a small group of people try to formulate a plan to save the human race.

3.  The Day After Tomorrow

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It simply isn’t a good list of movies like 2012 if this one isn’t featured on it! If you don’t like the cold then this probably depicts one of the worst possible ways the world could end for you! Being plunged into the next ice age and freezing to death! Now that’s terrifying.

The Day After Tomorrow Movie Description

Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), a climatologist has tried to warn the U.N. about his environmental concerns but is ultimately ignored. Not too long after, his concerns become a reality when a super storm forms and begins to set off catastrophic natural disasters causing chaos across the globe.

Jack wants to get to his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) who’s currently trapped with his friend  Laura (Emmy Rossum) in New York. Jack must travel by foot with his crew through horrendous weather and elements from Philadelphia in hopes of reaching his son in time.

4.  San Andreas

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Though the entire world doesn’t end here, an entire city does fall into the Earth. Literally! Everyone knows on the San Andreas fault and this film just gives you a small look as to what it would look like if it erupted!

San Andreas Movie Description

It was only a matter of time before the San Andreas fault erupted. A seemingly normal day turned disastrous when the fault caused a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the largest to ever be recorded.

Buildings all around the city fall with a countless number of people dying. An LAFD helicopter pilot named Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) must search through the wreckage and make his way from LA to SF in an attempt to save his wife and daughter.

5.  Knowing

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How would you react if you found something that accurately predicted major catastrophic events that happened and will happen!? Would you try and stop them? Is it even possible to stop them? This is definitely an amazing topic and makes for a great movie!

Knowing Movie Description

Caleb Koestler has managed to get his hands on a cryptic document after it had been buried for 50 years in a time capsule. His father, professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage), decrypts it and realizes the document lists all the major disasters which have occurred over the past 5 decades. It also predicts three future disasters and one global cataclysm. No one heeds John’s warning so he enlists the help of the documents author’s daughter and granddaughter in hopes of stopping this world-ending disaster.

6.  Deep Impact

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Last but not least on this list of movies like 2012 we have one that Earth has actually been through! This was millions of years ago but an astroid did render the dinosaurs extinct! Imagine if this were to happen now! How would people react to an announcement like that!?

Deep Impact Movie Description

The U.S. government has kept a world-ending secret from the world. A comet is headed directly towards Earth and has the capability of ending all life.

However, reporter Jenny Lerner (Tea Leoni) uncovers the secret forcing President Beck (Morgan Freeman) to announce his plan to the public. Astronaut Spurgeon Tanner (Robert Duvall) must take his team and land on the comet to plant explosives on it. Hopefully, this is enough to save the world. If not, humanity must say its final goodbyes.


There you have it! Those are our top picks for what we believe will provide you with the best and most similar viewing experience to 2012. However, we completely understand that 6 films is not enough for movie buffs like you. That’s why we’ll be listing all the other films we went through that just barely got beat out by the movies above. So, if you’ve watched through our top sections these should be next up on your movie watchlist!

20 More Disaster Filled Movies Like 2012

  • Greenland (2020)
  • Twister (1996)
  • The Fifth Wave (2016)
  • Geostorm (2017)
  • Army Of The Dead (2021)
  • Cloverfield (2008)
  • Oblivion (2013)
  • How It Ends (2018)
  • Extinction (2018)
  • Pompeii (2014)
  • Poseidon (2006)
  • The Impossible (2012)
  • The Core (2003)
  • Moonfall (2022)
  • Armageddon (1998)
  • The Midnight Sky (2020)
  • Contagion (2011)
  • The Wave (2015)
  • The Wandering Earth (2019)
  • World War Z (2013)
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