Chicago Disaster Movies: When Hollywood Wreaks Havoc on the City

From fires and giant insects to infectious disease and alien attacks, these Chicago disaster movies show just how often Hollywood has put the Windy City in peril.

The Platt family drives, literally, to the end of Oak Street. Screenshot: IMDb.

The End of Oak Street (2026) is a survival-disaster movie complete with dinosaurs, chaos, and glowing wormholes to other time periods.

To be honest, it's not my typical fare. Unless Steven Spielberg is involved, I usually gravitate away from plots involving a Tyrannosaurus rex, time travel, and family pets. (Spoiler: the dog lives.)

But I’d heard Oak Street described as “a real good time at the movies” and “pulpy fun,” so I decided to give it a try.

The End of Oak Street. Screenshot IMDb.

Set in 1982, The End of Oak Street follows the Platt family in the suburban town of Flowervale, Michigan: Denise (Anne Hathaway) and her husband, Greg (Ewan McGregor); their teenage children, Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery); and the family dog, Starbuck.

They all live, naturally enough, on Oak Street.

After a series of strange occurrences around the neighborhood—bright lights, ear-piercing noises, and odd plants suddenly flowering—things, well, take a turn, as this screenshot from Warner Bros. will attest.

Running, a major theme in The End of Oak Street. Screenshot: Warner Bros.

In case you’re planning to see the movie, that’s all I’ll say about the plot. But I will mention this: in one bit of dialogue—a throwaway line, really—The End of Oak Street mentions Chicago.

Amid the family’s weird new surroundings and obvious confusion, Hathaway’s character says something to the effect of,

“Maybe we should go to Chicago—this might not be happening there.”

Which, of course, made me laugh.

Because if you’re looking for a city that has been spared cinematic catastrophe, Chicago may not be your safest bet. Over the years, the city has been ravaged by

• fire

• giant insects

• mysterious explosions

• infectious disease

• alien robots

• superheroes

• genetically altered animals

• and more

So, if Denise Platt is still considering an evacuation plan, here are a few Chicago disaster movies she might want to watch first—and proof that Chicago may not be the safest place to ride out a Hollywood catastrophe.

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In Old Chicago (1938). Screenshot.

Chicago Disaster Movies to Add to Your Watchlist

If Hathaway's Denise Platt thinks Chicago is a safe escape, Hollywood history suggests otherwise. Here are some Chicago disaster movies that have put the city—and its residents—in serious cinematic peril:

In Old Chicago (1938)

This historical drama follows the O’Leary family in the years leading up to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The film ends with a recreation of the fire that consumes much of the city.

Beginning of the End (1957)

After experimental radiation causes insects to grow to enormous proportions, giant grasshoppers descend upon Chicago—crawling across landmarks in (hilarious) low-budget special effects. [Witness the invasion in my 60-second video.]

Chain Reaction (1996)

Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz go on the run after a potentially revolutionary energy experiment ends in murder and a massive explosion, destroying a Chicago research facility and surrounding city blocks.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s Gotham may be fictional, but Chicago is everywhere in The Dark Knight. As Batman battles the Joker, the city endures explosions, collapsing infrastructure, and plenty of civic chaos. [Discover the Chicago behind The Dark Knight.]

Contagion (2011)

Perhaps the most unsettling disaster film on this list, Contagion follows the global spread of a deadly virus. Chicago appears throughout the film, including at O’Hare and Midway airports—images that took on a different resonance after 2020. [Go behind the scenes of Contagion in Chicago.]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Chicago becomes the center of an all-out war between the Autobots and Decepticons. Buildings collapse, streets are destroyed, and the skyline becomes a battlefield.

Man of Steel (2013)

Chicago’s skyline doubles for Metropolis, where Superman’s battle with General Zod leaves the city looking as though it has survived an alien invasion, a war, and an especially bad day at the office. [Chicago's Union Station is practically demolished in this one.]

Divergent (2014)

In this dystopian future, Chicago is a walled-off city divided into factions. Whatever catastrophe devastated the outside world has left it isolated and on the brink of political collapse.

Rampage (2018)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teams up with an enormous gorilla to stop genetically altered creatures from destroying Chicago. The result is the kind of destruction usually reserved for superhero movies.

From fictional disasters to real-life tragedies, Chicago has provided Hollywood with no shortage of stories to tell—and no shortage of places to film them.

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Chicago’s Real-Life Disaster

Chicago's cinematic disasters are only part of the story. In Still Waters, Sudden Death: Chicago’s Deadliest Disaster Onscreen, explore the real-life tragedy of the SS Eastland and how Chicago’s deadliest disaster has been represented onscreen.

Interested in bringing this program to your library or organization? Learn more about the program and inquire about booking.

SS Eastland Disaster, Chicago River, 1915. Public Domain.