The appeal of disaster movies

I thought I had watched all possible types of destruction movies. Anything from earth being invaded by hordes of hostile aliens from outer space, to earth shuttering volcanic eruptions. Until today.

I got to watch the DVD of “Lightning bolts of destruction”. I will never look at a lightning the same way again. Um, no, that wouldn’t be really true. It didn’t affect me as much. It did however spark an interest for atmospheric studies, one I never thought I’d have. I now want to get all the details on how thunderstorms operate. I must have an old National Geographic magazine issue stacked away somewhere…

What’s really interesting though, is why do people like this kind of movies? Why does watching the world be destroyed and mankind threatened by extinction, excites audiences?

Destruction on such massive scale I guess, calls on our primitive instincts of survival, and there has to be a certain adrenaline rush involved as well. It could be that people haven’t felt really threatened since World War II, and are starting to think they are unimportant? Somebody or something is out to get us – thus we must be important enough to deserve such an elaborate hunt. As if when the cosmos is headed towards annihilation – life finally has a meaning. That meaning being? Continuance. Not letting the circle break.

People in these movies, as well as in similar situations in real life react in a surprisingly humane manner. They care about their neighbors, they try to warn them to evacuate, they help each other, they take care of each other’s offspring in case of one’s demise. They move in herds.

The threat of imminent danger unifies people. They become one gigantic organism, one that can fight better, or run faster. Yesterday’s stranger becomes today’s best friend. Human relationships in these movies are portrayed as they should be. People caring, people realizing the world shares a common destiny.

Another perhaps “less about solidarity” reasoning over the appeal of disaster movies would be looking at something far worse than the state of humanity today. Making people think they really don’t have it that bad after all. Like watching families fight each other live on reality TV and thinking “OK there are worse cases out there” feeling better about our otherwise pitiful situation whatever that may be.

So, in conclusion I ‘d say it’s a combination of survival instincts awakened, wishful thinking over solidarity, and a reassurance we live in a perfect world. Only that movie scenarios have a disturbing habit of coming true these days…