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The Day the Earth Caught Fire

1961·Movie
1h 38min
IMDb7.2Rotten Tomatoes86%84%

Where to watch

PhiloKanopyHooplaFandorDarkroom

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

What's your score?

Your score

The Day the Earth Caught Fire fingerprint

High energy, strong craft, light on feelings.

Energy

Nerve-racking and thrilling

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Tension9
  • Adrenaline7
  • Spectacle7

Heart

Melancholic and moving

  • Melancholy8
  • Pathos7
  • Catharsis7

Humor

Some satire

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Satire & Parody5
  • Wit & Wordplay4
  • Dark Humor4

World

Society, mystery, and politics

  • World Immersion7
  • Dialogue Centrality6
  • Rewatchability6

Craft

Standout direction

  • Intrigue9
  • Direction8
  • Acting7

Style

Standout cinematography

  • Cinematography8
  • Editing7
  • Music Composition7

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You need an uplifting mood

Find more like it

Suspense moviesMelancholic movies

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

The INCREDIBLE becomes Real! The IMPOSSIBLE becomes Fact! The UNBELIEVABLE becomes True!

British reporters suspect an international cover-up of a global disaster in progress... and they're right. Hysterical panic has engulfed the world after the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously detonate nuclear devices and have caused the orbit of the Earth to alter, sending it hurtling towards the sun.
Post-ApocalypticCold War AnxietyBritish CinemaEnvironmental DisasterJournalismCover-UpHysteriaBleak

Crew

Directed by:
Val Guest, Bernard Williams, Pamela Carlton
Written by:
Val Guest, Wolf Mankowitz
Produced by:
Val Guest, F. Sherwin Green, Clifton Brandon
Composed by:
Stanley Black, Stanley Black, Chris Greenham

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about The Day the Earth Caught Fire

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Day the Earth Caught Fire legally?

PhiloKanopyHooplaFandorDarkroomFawesomeCohen MediaBFI Player

The Day the Earth Caught Fire is included with a subscription to Philo in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Darkroom. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is The Day the Earth Caught Fire worth watching?

80
GreatGoodWatch score

Yes. It's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 80/100 (IMDb 7.2 and Rotten Tomatoes 86%). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

How long is The Day the Earth Caught Fire?

1 h 38 min

The Day the Earth Caught Fire runs 1 h 38 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on The Day the Earth Caught Fire?

Critics86
Audiences78

Not quite. Critics rate The Day the Earth Caught Fire higher (86) than audiences (78). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

What language is The Day the Earth Caught Fire in?

English

It was made in English. Produced in United Kingdom.

In how many countries can I watch The Day the Earth Caught Fire?

27BEBGCACHCYCZEEFRGBGGGRHRHUIE+13

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for The Day the Earth Caught Fire in 27 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does The Day the Earth Caught Fire use?

After the EndOh, Crap!World War IIIHidden DepthsAnd StarringThere Is Only One BedToplessness from the BackMeet CuteDisneyland DadGreen AesopThe Missus and the ExApocalypse Anarchyand 50 more

TV Tropes lists 62 storytelling tropes for The Day the Earth Caught Fire, including After the End, Oh, Crap!, World War III.