The Most Authentic Disaster Movies

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for disaster films that are the most faithful to real-life events. Head’s up: There will be spoilers. Which other disaster films did you feel were just as good as a documentary? Let us know in the comments down below!

#5: “Alive” (1993)

This 1993 film tells the harrowing—and true—tale of survival. A Uruguayan rugby team find themselves fighting for their lives after their plane crashes in the Andes Mountains. Filled with a stellar ensemble cast, the film sticks closely to the real-life events, including the depiction of gruesome details like starvation and exposure to extreme cold. One of the real-life survivors, Nando Parrado, even consulted on the film. Over two months later, the passengers manage to contact authorities, who rescue the remaining 16 survivors out of 45. Regardless of any minor changes made, this film is harrowingly true to life.

#4: “The Impossible” (2012)

In this 2012 film, a family struggles to survive after a tsunami hits their resort in Thailand. Although taking some artistic liberties, “Impossible” was praised for its realistic portrayal of the Thai response and help through the disaster. More importantly, it is true to the real-life experiences of María Belón, her husband Enrique, and their three children. Belón worked closely with the film’s director, J.A. Bayona, and is now a motivational speaker among other ventures. The film has since then been a critical darling, with Naomi Watts being nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as María.

#3: “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (1970)

There have been no lack of films dramatizing the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor during World World II. But this 1970 Japanese film has been the most definitive so far. Praised for its historical accuracy, “Tora” depicts the attack from both the American and Japanese points of view. In the film, the American forces successfully crack the Purple code and intercept the message about the planned attack, but fail to warn superiors. Meanwhile the Japanese’s goal to attack the American aircraft carriers is thwarted when they realize those carriers had already departed the base. Although a box office flop, the film succeeds in its fidelity to the tragic events of Pearl Harbor.

#2: “A Night to Remember” (1958)

It was the ship of dreams…no, not that movie. Although James Cameron’s romantic drama is not without its historical detail, this 1958 film is still the most accurate on the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Based on the 1955 bestseller by Walter Lord, the film depicts the ship’s last hours after hitting the fatal iceberg. Praised by Titanic historians and survivors alike, the drama follows actual historical figures with only some artistic license. The only grievous inaccuracy was depicting the Titanic sinking intact; it was discovered later that the ship had split in half. Not bad for a ‘50s film.

#1: “Apollo 13” (1995)

Based on the real-life space mission to the moon, Ron Howard’s 1995 movie is unscrupulously true to historical events. Apollo 13, America’s fifth crewed mission to the moon, is suddenly aborted when an on-board explosion damages the craft’s oxygen supply and electrical power. When Mission Control aborts, the crew led by Jim Lovell suffers from loss of electrical power and freezing temperatures before the return to Earth. Director Ron Howard went above and beyond to ensure scientific realism, consulting with NASA engineers. He even obtained their permission to shoot inside an actual reduced-gravity spacecraft. And the famous line “Houston, we have a problem”? That is only a slight variation on the actual quote: “Okay, Houston … we’ve had a problem here.”