Fire is a powerful and frightening force, but people have learned how to control it. Firefighters and rescuers are the experts in taming flames and saving lives. What drives them to take on such a tough job? To find out, we’ve gathered a list of 7 movies about firefighters and rescuers that explore their motivations and challenges.
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Only the Brave
IMDb: 7.7/10
2017, Action, Biography, Drama
USA, PG-13
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Top cast: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges
The film Only the Brave follows Brendan, a slacker who needs to prove his worth. Used to being an outsider and struggling with drug use, Brendan’s life changes when his girlfriend becomes pregnant. He decides to join the local fire department, but his new team is wary of him because of his past and doesn’t want a weak link. Despite this, the captain gives him a chance. Just a year later, Brendan and his team face one of the deadliest fires in U.S. history. Only the Brave is based on real events from June 28, 2013, near Yarnell. On that day, almost the entire Granite Mountain Hotshots fire team lost their lives in the blaze, with only one person surviving, who had been stationed on a lookout.
On Fire
IMDb: 5.3/10
2023, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
USA, PG-13
Director: Peter Facinelli, Nick Lyon
Top cast: Peter Facinelli, Fiona Dourif, Asher Angel
A forest fire is spreading quickly and is about to reach residential homes. In On Fire, the central family finds themselves trapped in this deadly blaze. With no help coming, they can only rely on each other. Will they be able to conquer their fears and escape the fiery disaster?
No Escapes
IMDb: 6.5/10
2020, Action, Drama
Russia, Unrated
Director: Alexey Nuzhny
Top cast: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Stasya Miloslavskaya, Andrey Smolyakov
The action-packed film No Escapes follows a young man who must venture into a remote taiga forest to win back his girlfriend. After one of his team members dies, Commander Alexei Sokolov needs to add a new recruit to his team. Although Sokolov is reluctant to take on young recruits, he changes his mind when he sees his daughter’s boyfriend and decides to take him on a dangerous mission. Determined and defiant, Roman knows that if he backs out, he will lose his girlfriend forever. He boards the helicopter for his first major fire in the taiga. The film features panoramic shots of real fires in the Krasnoyarsk region. For more localized scenes, the crew built a mock taiga in a studio using logs, and about 300 gas canisters were used for these controlled burns.
Those Who Wish Me Dead
IMDb: 6/10
2021, Action, Drama, Thriller
USA, Canada, R
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Top cast: Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Finn Little
Former fire chief Hannah has been struggling to cope with the loss of a team member who died in a forest fire along with three boys who were accidentally caught in the blaze. Now, Hannah works in a lookout tower in the Montana forests. Meanwhile, an accountant who has discovered compromising information about powerful people is fleeing from assassins. With his 12-year-old son, he drives to the same Montana forests where his late wife’s brother is the sheriff. As they all face their own challenges, a new forest fire is approaching fast.
Playing with Fire
IMDb: 4.9/10
2019, Comedy, Family
USA, PG
Director: Andy Fickman
Top cast: John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo
Brave and experienced firefighter Jake Carson leads a team of smokejumpers in California. Jake is a pro at his job and is expecting a promotion to become the head of all the fire stations in the area. But he has little time to think about that because a new forest fire is approaching, and his team rushes to the scene. While battling the blaze at a cabin, Carson discovers three children hiding from the smoke. Their parents are away, so the firefighters take the kids back to the station. For the next few days, the station is thrown into chaos. It turns out that managing a fire is easier for these tough firefighters than looking after three mischievous kids. The film includes many challenging scenes, and the crew had to put in a lot of effort. For example, the cabin had to be built and burned twice to capture all the necessary footage. Safety was a top priority when working with the children, though some stunts were performed by the kids themselves.
The Call
IMDb: 6.7/10
2013, Drama, Thriller
USA, R
Director: Brad Anderson
Top cast: Halle Berry, Evie Thompson, Abigail Breslin
The workday of a 911 operator takes an unexpected turn when she accidentally intercepts a call about a woman's abduction. Panicked, she reports the incident to the police but finds herself unable to let go of the situation, so she starts her own investigation. The idea for the film came to screenwriter Richard D’Ovidio after his wife saw an interview with a 911 operator on TV. Curious about the topic, he visited a call center in Los Angeles and discovered it had emergency generators, bulletproof windows, and was surrounded by a water-filled moat.
Chicago Fire
IMDb: 8/10
2012, Action, Drama
USA, TV-14
Director: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas
Top cast: Taylor Kinney, Christian Stolte, Eamonn Walker
The TV series Chicago Fire spans 13 seasons and portrays the daily lives of a fire department in Chicago. The team constantly saves lives, whether dealing with fires, earthquakes, or car accidents. Their job is incredibly dangerous, but they are not superhuman — they face real-life challenges as well. Lieutenant Kelly blames his boss for the death of a seasoned colleague and struggles with painkiller addiction. The commander is deeply grieving the loss of a friend. Christopher has lost his home, and paramedic Emily is accused of making a medical error. In short, the characters face relentless challenges and find no rest.
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