My 50 "Safety" Movies

Being the safety nerd I am (but still cool), I've slapped together a list of movies I've watched throughout the years which I feel offer some insights into safety, whether it be organisational culture, environment, transport, human factors, survival, natural disasters, or cultural and political lessons.

Here's my list...

1. Deepwater Horizon (2016) – Profit over process, ignored alarms, pressure to rush = catastrophic blowout.
   

2. Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022) – Design flaws, culture of secrecy, fear of speaking up = nuclear meltdown.
   

3. Sully (2016) – Bird strike + reliance on pilot judgment under stress = test of human factors.
   

4. Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2014) – Underfunded safety systems, poor maintenance, no emergency planning = mass deaths.
   

5. The China Syndrome (1979) – Faulty gauges, corporate denial, weak oversight = near meltdown.
   

6. Fukushima 50 (2020) – Poor disaster planning, underestimated tsunami risks = reactor failures.
   

7. Erin Brockovich (2000) – Toxic dumping, falsified reporting = community poisoning.
   

8. United 93 (2006) – Security gaps, crisis communication failure = hijack escalation.
   

9. Only the Brave (2017) – Unpredictable wildfire + communication failures = firefighter fatalities.
   

10. The 33 (2015) – Ignored geological warnings, poor mine infrastructure = collapse entraps workers.
    

11. Silkwood (1983) – Radiation exposures, whistleblower silenced.
    

12. Dark Waters (2019) – PFAS contamination, corporate cover-up.
    

13. North Country (2005) – Psychosocial harm, culture ignoring harassment.
    

14. Ladder 49 (2004) – Fireground unpredictability, PPE limitations.
    

15. Backdraft (1991) – Lack of fire behavior knowledge, sabotage.
    

16. A Civil Action (1998) – Regulatory weakness, toxic exposure denial.
    

17. American Factory (2019) – Productivity pressure > worker training/safety.
    

18. An Injury to One (2002) – Suppression of unions, no worker voice.
    

19. Brassed Off (1996) – Profit-driven closures undermine safe systems.
    

20. Made in Dagenham (2010) – Unsafe workplaces tied to denied rights.
    

21. Flight (2012) – Substance abuse + fatigue = impaired safety.
    

22. Alive (1993) – No survival planning, inadequate rescue response.
    

23. Cast Away (2000) – Crash survival highlights lack of redundancy.
    

24. The Grey (2011) – Environmental risks compound crash survival.
    

25. Unstoppable (2010) – Poor communication + human error = runaway train.
    

26. Runaway Train (1985) – Mechanical failure, weak emergency backup.
    

27. World Trade Center (2006) – Building collapse, emergency response limits.
    

28. Crimson Tide (1995) – Nuclear launch conflict, flawed chain of command.
    

29. K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) – Poor reactor design, inadequate crew training.
    

30. Fail Safe (1964) – Automation + comms failure = accidental escalation.
    

31. The Perfect Storm (2000) – Economic pressure overrides weather warnings.
    

32. The Impossible (2012) – Infrastructure unprepared for tsunami impact.
    

33. Everest (2015) – Summit fever, ignored risk signs, poor decision-making.
    

34. Vertical Limit (2000) – Poor planning, unsafe decisions under pressure.
    

35. K2 (1991) – Same mix of ambition > risk control.
    

36. The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – Ship design flaws, inadequate evacuation.
    

37. Titanic (1997) – Arrogance, inadequate lifeboats, ignored warnings.
    

38. San Andreas (2015) – Weak infrastructure, overreliance on rescue.
    

39. Twister (1996) – Lack of community shelters, unsafe chasing.
    

40. Dante’s Peak (1997) – Warnings dismissed, poor geological planning.
    

41. Threads (1984) – Nuclear war shows total collapse of safety systems.
    

42. Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Miscommunication + poor safeguards = annihilation.
    

43. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) – Greed-driven shortcuts, safety disregarded.
    

44. The Fog of War (2003) – Complex decisions, unintended safety disasters.
    

45. Four Hours at My Lai (1989) – Breakdown of ethics, no command control.
    

46. Don’t Look Up (2021) – Experts ignored, leadership apathy = extinction.
    

47. Fireproof (2008) – Firefighter stress, psychosocial safety overlooked.
    

48. Firestorm (1998) – Wildfire risks + communication gaps.
    

49. Backdraft II (2019) – Fire investigation weaknesses, human factors.
    

50. An Inconvenient Truth (2006) – Climate warnings ignored = planetary risk.