Last Updated on August 5, 2021
#1 – SUNSHINE
And our top ranking movie really feels the heat because it features a crew heading straight for the Sun! Danny Boyle’s incredibly underrated science fiction film feels like a cross between INTERSTELLAR and EVENT HORIZON. While the ending goes off the edge a little bit, the tension is palpable as the crew of international astronauts battle demons inside and out on their quest to save the world from a fiery armageddon. Definitely a scorcher and worthy of the top spot on this list.
#2 – BACKDRAFT
Ron Howard’s firefighter film has received mixed reviews based on the melodramatic screenplay, but you cannot argue that the special effects are pretty damn impressive, even 25 years after it hit theaters. BACKDRAFT comes close to an amusement park ride where you can feel heat blasted at you. For a two-dimensional film, that is a pretty spectacular accomplishment. Plus, Kurt Russell’s haircut just defies all logic or rules of physics.
#3 – FALLING DOWN
A favorite of mine, FALLING DOWN is one of Joel Schumacher’s better films and delivers a vigilante film unlike any other. Michael Douglas is stellar as the unhinged William Foster who finally snaps while stuck in traffic during an incredibly hot day. Going around Los Angeles, Foster lets everyone have it, from the Korean shop owner to gangsters all the way to a fast food restaurant and a construction crew. Foster says and does what we all have thought about doing, but he actually takes it to another level thanks to his internal and external temperature reaching a boiling point.
#4 – REIGN OF FIRE
I would be willing to guess that if you were to think about your favorite movies about dragons, REIGN OF FIRE would be close to the top of that list. Well, dragons breathe fire and fire is hot, hence why it appears on this ranking. The post-apocalyptic wasteland in this movie is charred and barren thanks to the flames emanating from the winged beasts in Rob Bowman’s film.
#5 – DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Set on a hot August day during a heat wave, Sidney Lumet’s drama was actually filmed on days it was so cold that the actors had to put ice in their mouths between takes to avoid their breath being shown on camera. You would never know watching the film as the characters all glisten with sweat as the tense standoff evolves from a botched robbery to a massive event. Attica!
#6 – VOLCANO
Released the same year as DANTE’S PEAK, VOLCANO takes a much more surreal approach by placing an eruption of lava right in downtown Los Angeles. By putting the destruction in a major metropolitan area, VOLCANO gives us a lot more to watch as the extreme heat of the magma turns the already temperate California city into a powder keg. Leave it to Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche and Don Cheadle to stay cool in such high temperatures.
#7 – IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
This classic police drama spawned a television series of the same name, but the original film delivers one of the most impressive murder mysteries of all time. Partnering Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier as racially divisive policemen, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT relies on the sweltering Mississippi weather to keep everyone on edge as they also evolve thanks to the more than capable Mr. Tibbs.
#8 – SUMMER OF SAM
Based on the true story of serial killer David Berkowitz, SUMMER OF SAM chronicles the lives of some New York City residents as they endure the heat wave through the city while a madman is on the loose. Less focused on Berkowitz and rather his impact on the people of NYC, this is a movie that uses the weather and the discomfort of the heat in the city to convey the unrest of a metropolis about to explode.
#9 – REAR WINDOW
Alfred Hitchcock’s voyeuristic classic takes place during a heat wave in which Jimmy Stewart’s character is stuck, immobilized in a wheelchair with a broken leg. With his windows open, he watches his neighbors and witnesses what may have been a murder. As the sweat gleams on his brow,you can feel the claustrophobia dripping on your own. Hitchcock was a master of suspense and used our senses against us.
#10 – BARTON FINK
Heat plays a major role in the Coens’ bizarre comedy. From peeling wallpaper and sweating characters, it is later revealed that the true source of the heat is the hotel John Turturro’s character is inhabiting is engulfed in flames. A great movie for those with an acquired taste for the Coens brand of noir, this film is definitely one that will have you reaching for a glass of water.
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