Entertainment
Elijah Wood’s Cult Classic Sci-Fi Disaster Movie Resurfaces on Streaming After 28 Years
It seems movie fans have been increasingly interested in apocalyptic movies lately. Last week, it was Armageddon getting the spotlight on the streaming charts, as the Ben Affleck-starring feature rose among Tubi’s rankings. Nearly a week later, another sci-fi disaster film has emerged after it found its new streaming home this month.
In the same year that Armageddon was released, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks released Deep Impact, a movie with a similar premise. The feature starred Elijah Wood, years before he appeared in The Lord of the Rings, as well as other notable cast members, including Morgan Freeman and Jon Favreau. For those who have yet to see it, Deep Impact follows Leo Biederman (Wood), a high school student who discovers a comet heading straight towards Earth, and its impact on the planet may trigger an “Extinction-level Event.” As a last-ditch effort to save humanity, astronauts were sent into space in a mission to blow up the comet. Meanwhile, in preparation for the worst-case scenario, the government implements a last-resort plan to ensure humanity’s survival.
At the start of April, Deep Impact made Paramount+ its new streaming home, and the film ranked #10 on Paramount+’s Top 10 Movies in the United States on this weekend, sitting behind Jim Carrey‘s The Truman Show. During Deep Impact‘s theatrical release, it grossed only $140.6 million worldwide, ranking it the 6th-highest-grossing film of 1998, between A Bug’s Life and Mulan. Its reception was mediocre, earning only 45% from critics and 43% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. But despite its ratings, Deep Impact entering the streaming charts isn’t new — the film has earned a cult following over the years and it also appeared on Tubi’s charts back in February.
What To Watch If You Like ‘Deep Impact’?
Deep Impact is one of many sci-fi disaster movies that have come out over the years, and there are other titles like it worth a watch after you finish streaming this on Paramount+. One notable example is Armageddon, which recently made waves on streaming platforms like Tubi and features an asteroid heading towards Earth, thus threatening life on the planet. What made Deep Impact stand out from Armageddon in 1998 was how it told a story about everyday people, how they would react if they knew the world was about to end, and what they would do to ensure their survival.
If you’re after an apocalyptic film that features a similar every-man premise, then Volcano is worth a watch. Released a year prior, this film follows Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones), who learns that a volcano is erupting in Los Angeles, so he and many emergency service members team up to redirect the lava in hopes of minimizing the damage, while also attempting to save as many lives as possible due to a new natural threat.
Deep Impact is available to stream on Paramount+. Follow Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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May 8, 1998
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Director
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Mimi Leder
- Writers
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Michael Tolkin, Bruce Joel Rubin
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