Lessons We Can Learn from Disaster Movies

by Adrian Johansen

Movies are more than mere entertainment. They’re a release. An escape. A two-hour reprieve from the worries of your ordinary life. But movies do more than entertain. They also instruct. They can show audiences what to do in times of crisis — as well as what not to do. And there’s maybe no better genre for this than the disaster movie. Aside from the cheap thrills, emotional melodrama, and spectacular special effects, you may well just take away some valuable lessons that you’ll find yourself using in your own life!

Twister (1996)

When Twister first hit the theaters more than 20 years ago, it generated a lot of buzz — not to mention massive box office bank — for its strong plot and incredible special effects. The story of a duo of storm chasers, the film was acclaimed for its realistic depiction of the awesome, sometimes devastating, power of nature.

But one of the great takeaways of this film is the necessity of emergency preparation. The film truly speaks to the idea that, in nature as in life, there is no such thing as certainty or security. In the film, tornadoes are shown to defy prediction or prevention. Storms strong enough to level entire towns can whip up in just minutes. You can never know quite when or where it will happen. And if you’re not prepared when it does, then it’s already too late.

One of the most basic things you can do to prepare for an emergency is have a “go bag” that combines not only a first aid kit but other life essentials. This should include at least three days’ worth of food, water, and medication for each member of the family. And it should also include your family’s important documents, from identification cards and drivers’ licenses to deeds, wills, and medical records.  

2012 (2009) and The Road (2009)

Global apocalypse seemed to be the prevailing theme for 2009, but two Hollywood disaster movies, 2012 and The Road struck starkly different tones when probing this seemingly universal human fear. While 2012 has all the pyrotechnics of the traditional blockbuster, The Road, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy, is quieter, more deliberative, and somehow more disturbing.  

However, both films feature fathers trying to save their children as humanity faces global extinction. And though the plotlines vary widely, each in its way presents a valuable lesson on the need for self-sufficiency, which includes getting back to basics and learning new skills. 

These films suggest our modern world has taught us to perceive creature comforts as necessities. But what happens when these are suddenly gone, when there is no electricity, fuel, food, or medicine, and you have only yourself to rely on? These are the questions the films pose, and the pursuit of self-sufficiency may be the answer.

Contagion (2011)

Of course, in the age of COVID-19, we would be remiss if we didn’t include Contagion on this list. The story of a lethal infectious disease that emerges mysteriously out of Asia and spreads like wildfire across the globe, the film was well-received and highly popular at the time.

But today, in these pandemic times, the film isn’t just a good flick. It feels almost like a prophecy, a disturbingly prescient foreshadowing of our world today. Contagion underscores the importance of hygiene, showing how something as simple as failing to wash your hands properly can literally have lethal consequences. In the film, the chain of human transmission began when a restaurant chef failed to wash his hands, and a virus from an infected animal entered the food supply.

The film also introduces audiences to organizations that are now on everyone’s lips, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In the face of a pandemic, as we have learned all too well in the past months, there are thousands of researchers, epidemiologists, and infectious disease and public health experts out there fighting to keep us safe. 

And no matter what you might think of such organizations’ recommendations or practices, the indisputable truth, as this film shows, is that we’re all connected. When it comes to infectious illnesses, we rise and fall together.

The Takeaway

Let’s face it: disaster movies are just plain fun. They’re the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday night, losing yourself in a world of fantasy, where heroes struggle and ultimately prevail against seemingly impossible odds. They’re a time to be dazzled by incredible special effects and breathtaking twists and turns. But they’re also much more than that. Disaster movies, as fun as they might be, are also informative. They teach us about how to survive in the face of natural disasters; they admonish us to be self-sufficient, and they remind us that our health and the health of the people we love is literally in our own hands.