10 firefighter movies that will impress anyone

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Soviet and American classics, as well as modern large-scale works with famous actors are waiting for you.

10. Bonfire in the White Night

• USSR, 1984.
• Thriller.
• Duration: 85 minutes.
• IMDb: 5, 8.

In the midst of the dry summer of 1971, a geological exploration expedition working near the village of Erbogachen stumbles upon a layer of permafrost. Wanting to fulfill the plan as soon as possible, one of the foremen orders to thaw the soil with fires. Soon the fire spreads to the forests and the whole village is in danger.

Boris Buneev's painting is based on Yuri Sbitnev's book "Fire". Moreover, the author personally adapted the novel for the script. He considered the region of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River his creative homeland, and therefore he dedicated many works to the Irkutsk region located there. The "Fire" was based on real events that took place near the village of Erbogachen. The director had only to turn the plot into a real disaster film - a genre rare for the Soviet Union.

9. Anxious Sunday

• USSR, 1983.
• Thriller.
• Duration: 86 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

A foreign tanker arrives at one of the Black Sea ports. To fix a minor breakdown, three locksmiths and a trainee are sent on board. They soon find themselves in mortal danger as the ship catches fire. The scale of the tragedy is growing every minute, and firefighters cannot reach their destination because of the blocked road.

Disaster films are a rare occurrence in Soviet cinema. But it was "Troubled Sunday", along with "The Crew" and the picture "34th ambulance", that became a classic of the genre. Director Rudolf Fruntov managed to perfectly combine a large-scale thriller with human drama.

8. Team 49: Fire Ladder

• USA, 2004.
• Drama, thriller.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

Experienced firefighter Jack Morrison arrives for his next mission. The hero manages to save several people, but he himself is cut off from the exit. While colleagues led by the captain are trying to save Jack, he himself recalls the most interesting events of his life.

First of all, the film attracts the attention of the star cast. The main role is played by Joaquin Phoenix, and John Travolta appears in the image of his boss. Before filming, the artists underwent real training in one of the fire departments in Baltimore. Moreover, Phoenix had to overcome the panic fear of heights. But upon completion of the course, he was made an honorary member of the brigade.

7. Tower

• South Korea, 2012.
• Drama, thriller.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

On Christmas Eve, the owner of the 120-story Twin Towers throws a sumptuous party. Since there has been no rainfall lately, he hires two helicopters to spread artificial snow. But because of the strong wind, a catastrophe occurs and the building catches fire. Now firefighters need to make every effort to save as many people as possible.

The Korean director Kim Ji Hoon had already shot the not-so-successful Sector 7 disaster film. But "Tower" perfectly corrected all the shortcomings of the previous work. The author conceived this picture after watching Hollywood Hell Rising and wanted to convey the feelings of people who are cut off from the path of salvation. It turned out very large-scale and cruel in Korean.

6. Infernal fighters

• USA, 1968.
• Drama, military, melodrama.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Chance Buckman led the oilfield firefighting team for many years. He saved many lives, but a risky profession ruined his marriage. After the injury, Chance gets a chance to look at his situation from the outside - his daughter is marrying a firefighter. But soon all the heroes will have to go to the most dangerous business: they must extinguish the fire in the war zone.

The film, starring the great John Wayne, is based in part on the biography of Red Adair. This legendary firefighter came up with new ways to extinguish the most difficult fires. He became famous after mastering the "Devil's Lighter" - a fire at a gas well in Algeria. Its flame rose 140 meters and was visible even from Earth's orbit.

5. Reverse thrust

• USA, 1991.
• Drama, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 137 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Brothers Stephen and Brian McCaffrey work as firefighters, like their father, who died in the service. But the relationship between men is very tense. Therefore, the younger, Stephen, leaves the unit and goes to work as an investigator. He has to find an arsonist who kills his victims with a new substance that causes "reverse thrust" - an explosion due to the fact that oxygen enters the room.

Evaluating this film, professional firefighters noted that many of the details in it are shown inaccurately: during real fires inside the premises, nothing is simply visible. But it is clear that the authors of the picture had to make assumptions for the sake of visual aesthetics. Moreover, "Backdraft" does not pretend to be plausible: the plot combines a detective story, a thriller and a family drama.

4. Rising Hell

• USA, 1974.
• Drama, thriller.
• Duration: 165 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

In San Francisco, the tallest skyscraper is being built - at 138 floors. Its grandiose opening is already planned, but the architect finds out that the electricity was carried out with gross violations and the network will not withstand full load. However, he is not listened to, and as a result, hundreds of people are trapped in fiery captivity.

In the United States in the early seventies, many scandals really broke out related to the danger of fires in skyscrapers. Two novels have emerged from these hot topics: The Tower by Richard Martin Stern and The Hell of Glass by Thomas Scortia and Frank Robinson. Based on them, they shot a picture, the most outstanding part of which turned out to be grandiose special effects. The building's meticulously redesigned interiors and large-scale backdrops are still impressive and create a sense of real danger.

3.451 ° Fahrenheit

• Great Britain, 1966.
• Drama, fantasy.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

In a dystopian future, all books are outlawed, and those who burn discovered prints are called firefighters. Among them is Sergeant Guy Montag, who for a long time simply carried out orders. But one meeting makes him think about a totalitarian society and go against the system.

Of course, in the film adaptation of the legendary novel by Ray Bradbury, firefighters are the exact opposite of the modern understanding of the word. Yet François Truffaut's classic painting has a lot to do with fire. And it's just very good and worth seeing.

2. Radio wave

• USA, 2000.
• Drama, thriller, fantasy.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

John Sullivan's father served as a firefighter and died 30 years ago. But the son turned policeman still misses him. One day John turns on an old radio station and mysteriously contacts his father shortly before he dies. The son manages to warn the dad, but the course of history changes, and now they need to jointly catch the maniac.

This film is indirectly connected with firefighters, although the tragedy of the death of a close relative in a dangerous job is conveyed very touchingly. But the experimental picture deserves attention because of the unusual structure and sudden plot twists.

1. The case of the brave

• USA, 2017.
• Drama, thriller.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Newcomer Brandon McDona joins the Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighters team. Colleagues dislike the guy because of his bad habits. But soon he, along with other firefighters, will face one of the largest fires in the history of Arizona.

The plot of the picture by Scott Cooper is based on the story of a real-life team of firefighters who fought a fire in Arizona in 2013. Critics and audiences alike welcomed the dark film. It combines impressive visuals with an emotional narration of a dangerous job and the plight of a team.