Wildfires across Europe and North America continue to take their toll as temperatures soar - reminiscent of any Sunday afternoon disaster movie.
And with this love-it-or-hate-it genre inevitably on the brain, what better time to delve into the world of disaster movies and select our top five to stream this weekend as we all hide from the outside world?
Twister, 1996
A true Hollywood blockbuster that never fails to keep you entertained on a wet or sweltering Sunday afternoon, Twister is loaded with star power and a simple but exciting plot.
Starring Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Twister sees a group of amateur storm-chasers who put their lives on the line in order to test a storm alert system.
While Twister is no essay that questions the bigger questions in life, as Roger Ebert put it: "Say you're over 13. You want loud, dumb, skillful, escapist entertainment? “Twister” works."
Twister can be streamed via subscription on HBO Max.
Dante's Peak, 1997
Let's face it, this heat isn't going anywhere anytime soon and so the more Sunday afternoon filling mindless blockbusters you have available the better.
Enter, Dante's Peak.
Another unashamedly simple and star-studded movie, this time featuring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, Dante's Peak sees the former take on the role of a volcanologist who discovers that the town of - you guessed it, Dante's Peak - is at risk as a dormant stratovolcano looks set to erupt.
"Take this behemoth for what it is (a big, dumb summer blockbuster released a tad early) and you won’t be let down," wrote Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle 25 years ago - words which still ring true today.
Dante's Peak can be streamed via subscription on Peacock.
The Day After Tomorrow, 2004
Into the 2000s and here we have the prototypical apocalypse movie.
Headlined by Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Sela Ward (Yes, yes, another billboard-friendly cast), The Day After Tomorrow features another intellectual, this time a paleoclimatologist, who attempts to reach his son by venturing through a sudden Ice Age (which sounds pretty good right about now).
Not much of a thinker as many disaster movies are, The Day After Tomorrow is synonymous with the genre and "despite its flaws, is actually one of the most satisfying and enjoyable films around," according to USA Today's Kelly Lawler.
The Day After Tomorrow can be streamed via subscription on Amazon Prime Video.
War Of The Worlds, 2005
Try not to pass out from shock - but here we have a star-studded Hollywood blockbuster disaster movie that is as entertaining as it is (at face value at least) simple.
Of course, this has a mildly more intellectual plot, based on the 1898 novel by H.G. Wells. It seems Tom Cruise's Ray, a dock worker and estranged father, ventures to protect his children and reunite them with his ex-wife when the planet is attacked by extraterrestrial "fighting machines."
"Millions of deaths and incalculable property damage seem like pretty expensive family therapy, but it's heartening to know that even an alien invasion can provide an opportunity for learning and growth," wrote A.O. Scott in The New York Times - and that pretty much summarizes the character arc of this movie.
War Of The Worlds can be streamed via subscription on Netflix.
Don't Look Up, 2021
A straight-to-Netflix blockbuster that somewhat went under the radar toward the end of 2021, Don't Look Up is similar to the others listed in that it relies heavily on star-power to convince you to press play, but its humor and entertaining script keep you watching regardless of whos in front of you.
A true testament to the fact that a depressing topic can still be funny at times, Don't Look Up is a damning indictment of today's society, politicians, and humans as a whole.
Astronomers Kate and Randall (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) discover a comet set on a collision course with the earth that will almost certainly end civilization unless action is taken. However, neither the President (Meryl Streep) nor the media are taken aback by this news and personal agendas and money take the front seat as the planet heads for its inevitable fate - with our astronomer friends doing their best (sometimes) to avert this outcome.
"Don’t Look Up is a blunt instrument in lieu of a sharp razor, and while McKay may believe that we’re long past subtlety, it doesn’t mean that one man’s wake-up-sheeple howl into the abyss is funny, or insightful, or even watchable," David Fear wrote in Rolling Stone. "It’s a disaster movie in more ways than one. Should you indeed look up, you may be surprised to find one A-list bomb of a movie, all inchoate rage and flailing limbs, falling right on top of you."
Surprise surprise, this Netflix original can be streamed on Netflix.
Local Lead
On Saturday the Asian Film Festival of Dallas kicks off, set to showcase Asian and Asian-American cinema from July 21-24th.
"Over the last 20+ years, the festival has provided opportunities for over 400 Asian and Asian American filmmakers and documentarians to share their vision, often providing the only venue for their films to be shown in Dallas," the festival's website states.
Taking place at the Angelika and Texas theaters in Dallas, details of all of this year's screenings can be found here.
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