Films like 2012
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines 2012, going by its Boxlist taste profile: An otherworldly sci-fi film that is sweeping, breakneck and simple. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of social commentary, underdogs and an all-consuming quest, plus tags such as destruction, maya civilization and disaster film.
Here are 15 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on 2012 (2009).
- 1
Armageddon (1998)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: disaster film, natural disaster, disaster.
- 2
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Film7.5Lighter option
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: destruction.
- 3
Greenland (2020)
Film7.2
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: natural disaster, disaster, end of the world.
- 4
Jurassic World (2015)
Film6.7
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: disaster.
- 5
Independence Day (1996)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest.
- 6
Predator: Badlands (2025)
Film7.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival.
- 7
Pacific Rim (2013)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary. Common ground: apocalypse.
- 8
Mad Max (1979)
Film6.7
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs.
- 9
Twisters (2024)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also sweeping and fast-paced, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: natural disaster.
- 10
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also sweeping and fast-paced, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: disaster.
- 11
The Guardian (2006)
Film7.1Slower burn
Why it's like 2012: Also sweeping and straightforward, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: disaster.
- 12
The Book of Eli (2010)
Film6.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs.
- 13
The Road (2009)
Film7.0
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs.
- 14
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Film7.8
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and fast-paced, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: destruction, flood.
- 15
Serenity (2005)
Film7.4Heavier option
Why it's like 2012: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs.
Boxlist compares 2012 with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like 2012?
- Picks with a similar feel include Armageddon, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Greenland and Jurassic World. Each shares part of 2012's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
- How are these films like 2012 chosen?
- Boxlist compares 2012 with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.
- Is there a lighter film like 2012?
- Spider-Man: Far From Home has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.