Twister

Nowadays, tornado movies are a dime a dozen, especially when you factor sharknadoes into the mix. But in 1996, TWISTER became the first – and still, by far, the best – tornado movie in history, outgrossing all but one other film that year and cementing Helen Hunt's status as an A-list movie star.

TWISTER stars the late, beloved Bill Paxton as a TV weatherman who's dragged back into his old team of weather researchers, a team that includes his estranged wife, Helen Hunt, whose brilliance and tenacity launch them head-first into some of the most dangerous storms on the planet. More accurately, a cluster of storms: as the team races across Oklahoma to deploy its new data-collecting devices, the tornadoes they chase grow in size and intensity, culminating in the fearsome F5 class.

The visual and sound effects used to create TWISTER's terrifying tornadoes were groundbreaking for 1996, earning well-deserved Academy Award nominations, and they can still rattle audiences even today. As a bonus, it also sports an equally incredible cast, including Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman; THE PRINCESS BRIDE's Cary Elwes; and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF's Alan Ruck. Being in a tornado sucks – but seeing TWISTER on the big screen freaking rules.