A committed creator of spectacle who has become known as the "master of disaster," Roland Emmerich is a director who is always dedicated to going for big swings. His most recent film, simply titled Moonfall, is perhaps his biggest swing yet in a career that is full of them. As the title ever so subtly hints, it is about the moon falling towards Earth and the attempt by a ragtag group to stop it only to bite off more than they were prepared for. A return to his science fiction roots ala The Day After Tomorrow and Godzilla, this new movie is Emmerich at his most unrestrained and absurd. It is all part of a career that is a testament to how he is the king of schlock, unafraid to dive headfirst into making over-the-top film after over-the-top film seemingly on repeat.
With his most recent work now being unleashed on the world in all of its expansive glory, it is a perfect time to look back on his filmography. Even as he dabbled in genres from science fiction to what can loosely be called historical fiction, Emmerich is defined as being a director who doesn’t ever hold back from his ambitions of always going bigger and bigger at every chance he gets. Many of his aspirations are often a bit out there, though when he finds his target it is always a unique experience. Most are imperfect, though they are all distinctly him with all that entails.
17. Making Contact (1985)
1985’s Making Contact, originally known as Joey, is one of Emmerich’s earliest films and is by no means without its charm though still is where we must begin. It centers on a young boy named Joey (Joshua Morrell) who attempts to reconnect with his deceased father through supernatural forces. Imagine a strange mashup of Poltergeist and E.T. to get some idea of what this film was trying to do. However, it hasn’t held up nearly as well as those superior films that it ultimately feels derivative of. If you are looking to be a completionist of the director, it is not an entirely unredeemable place to start even as it doesn’t quite connect.
16. Ghost Chase (1987)
Shortly after our first entry came 1987’s Ghost Case, which also was originally known by the different name of Hollywood-Monster, that is a slight step up though is still forgettable. Making use of more supernatural elements, it is all built around a group of friends who try to shoot a movie in a mansion before strange things begin happening. The biggest detriment is the character of Warren (Jason Lively) who just takes what could be more fun and drags it down with how deeply unlikeable of a character he is. It may provide some humor in its absurdity though it is still an entirely skippable flick.
15. Moon 44 (1990)
For a film that takes place on the moon, it is amazing in its own right that 1990's Moon 44 is as boring as it is. In his first big foray into science fiction, you can see glimpses of how Emmerich was beginning to explore elements that would be better developed in his later work. The story here is about a mining station on a remote moon and is, absent a few moments where things pick up, almost entirely a slog. Its primary value is in seeing Emmerich finding his footing and trying out new things especially from an action perspective. You can see what will end up working in his larger-scale projects all throughout, but it is probably best to avoid this one in lieu of some of his more polished later films.
14. Universal Soldier (1992)
You would think having Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in this 1992 action science-fiction film about superhuman warriors would make it exciting, right? Compared to what came before it on this list? Sure, I guess. Overall? No. While it is fun to see the action icons' first on-screen collaboration, the overall experience in Universal Soldier is a forgettable one. This is primarily due to how this Terminator-style ripoff just never makes the most of its premise. It may get the occasional chuckle here and there for its silliness, though it still is far too repetitive to make its place amongst the director’s more memorable work.
13. Godzilla (1998)
Now is where we get into some of Emmerich’s more recognizable films. Keep in mind that recognizable does not always mean good. Such is the case with the 1998 adaptation of Godzilla, a misguided study in how not to portray the iconic creature on screen. Following a series of nuclear tests that irradiate an iguana into a giant monster, a team must try to stop it from reproducing in New York City. The story is ludicrous (and not in a good way) with effects that are perpetually clunky. All the cast gives it their all and gets you to care about them despite the mess of a movie going on around them. It just isn’t enough to redeem the overall misfire of whatever was being attempted here.
12. Stonewall (2015)
Oh Stonewall. There may never be a movie that has more misrepresented history and the people that lived through it so thoroughly to the point of disrespect. It marks the first of many attempts Emmerich would take at portraying history on this list, though this is the most tasteless. The Stonewall Riots were a historic moment where brave people like Marsha P. Johnson took action to start a movement. You wouldn’t know that watching Stonewall which ignores all of those people to focus on a fictional guy who is so distant from the actual events that it leaves the moment feeling like a backdrop. As was said at the time of its release, it “reduces everyone to clichés and footnotes.” When a short Drunk History episode is a better portait of the time than your feature length film, you know you’ve made a mistake.
11. 10,000 B.C. (2008)
A film that goes back to the prehistoric age, 10,000 B.C. throws historical accuracy out the window to tell a middling and meandering action story that still has its moments. Don't expect any deeper scenes that build themes as it is all about getting bigger and bigger spectacles on screen even if the characters get lost along the way. The basic story is that a young mammoth hunter must rescue the love of his life and discovers a dangerous world beyond where he grew up. None of it leaves a lasting impression as Emmerich mostly uses the story as an excuse to create big, sprawling scenes of action. The conclusion in particular is just all over the place, making for a nonsensical and over-the-top finale that makes you realize how it was all about style over substance.
10. Stargate (1994)
A film that marked one of Emmerich's biggest forays into science fiction at the time, Stargate is a work that is more interesting than it is entirely successful. Built around an interstellar gateway that transports a group of characters to an ancient world, it is a premise that is more entertaining in theory than it is in execution. As it follows professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) and retired Army Col. Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell) you get drawn in despite yourself as the two men have to overthrow a cruel leader in order to find their way home. That is about all it is as the film is surprisingly small in scope with a far too cheesy of an ending. It pushes the limits of how long you’ll actually want to sit with the story by running at two hours and leaving you wishing it could have been handled with a bit more nuance.
9. Anonymous (2011)
One of the stranger entries in his filmmmography, Emmerich’s Anonymous is all about questioning whether William Shakespeare really was a person who wrote all the works that are credited to him. The film comes down pretty definitively that he didn’t, so that may itself already lose those who don’t buy into its theory. However, it is still Emmerich trying to take on a different type of period flick that eschews destruction in favor of political intrigue. It does beat you over the head with it all, though some strong performances manage to carry it through some of its weaker moments.
8. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
A movie that Emmerich himself has said he likely shouldn’t have made following Will Smith dropping out, Independence Day: Resurgence is a film that struggles to justify its existence with far too many subplots. However, even with its superior predecessor casting a long shadow over it, it is an absurd blockbuster that works if you don’t take it seriously. The story is stitched together by so many writers that it barely holds together, though there is a morbid fascination that becomes entertaining in seeing it all play out.
7. The Patriot (2000)
Another attempt to tell a historical story, The Patriot is not bound by any sense of accuracy as it flaunts any rules or logic to just create a melodramatic mess. It also is so silly that it somehow works, making it the type of movie that if it somehow comes on for the fiftieth time on TNT you’ll still end up watching it. None of it makes any sort of sense, though it is the type of film that doesn’t need to as it is entirely about the chaos of characters gallivanting around early America. It also features a menacing performance from Jason Isaacs in rare form as the antagonist, automatically elevating the film.
6. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Featuring climate destruction on such a scale that it was a new twist for Emmerich, The Day After Tomorrow remains a standout in the director’s filmography for how it went in new directions. As the film's political leaders ignore warnings about impending climate catastrophe, things begin to rapidly spiral out of control and everyday people are left to fend for themselves. Thank goodness this fictional disaster film is absolutely nothing like our own world. It remains a film that holds far more water than it should.
5. 2012 (2009)
In what may be the first of a few controversial picks, 2012 is deserving of being in the top five by sheer absurdity alone. It is a story that is basically a road trip movie where the road keeps falling apart underneath the characters. As reviews at the time said, it still delivers on everything it promises. The characters are largely throwaway as it is all about finding excuses to destroy various places all over the planet in spectacular fashion as much as possible. It is hard to thing of a more film dedicated to destruction.
4. Midway (2019)
A film like Midway could have easily fallen apart for all it tried to do and there are certainly moments where this film almost entirely loses the plot. Yet, somehow, the overall experience ends up being far less flag waving than one would expect and oddly offers up an attempt at seeing the war from a more multilayered perspective. There aren’t many layers, but there are at least more than a few which makes it a standout in Emmerich’s work.
3. White House Down (2013)
A bombastic and bonkers action film, White House Down is an unhinged experience in the best way possible. It genuinely almost feels like a parody of itself where you laugh just at the sheer silliness of it all. Both Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx make for a good comedic pairing, elevating it as one of Emmerich’s hidden gems in how it demonstrates a refreshing degree of self-awareness. It is by no means a film that is high-art, but it just can’t ever stop pushing the heights of absurdity.
2. Moonfall (2022)
The most recent film on this list is also the best thing Emmerich has made in a long while. Moonfall feels like the director has taken all of his previous work and smashed into one giant smorgasbord of a film. There is a science fiction element, multiple scenes of massive flooding, gargantuan earthquakes that come about when the plot needs some excitement, and an endless stream of debris falling down upon people attempting to flee. It is a film that is overflowing with cheesiness and has respected actors deliver silly lines with a straight face. It is his most unrestrained film where the delight comes in seeing him let loose and throw the entire kitchen sink at the screen.
1. Independence Day (1996)
Even as it was tempting to put Moonfall as number one on this list, it still had to go to Independence Day. It is by no means a perfect film and often can’t help itself from leaning into superficiality. However, it is still hard to overstate how fun it is to see the White House destroyed in such an explosive fashion. It is further helped by a charismatic and entertaining performance by Smith who carries the story through its weaker elements. There is a tendency to overstate elements of the rest of the film, though Emmerich’s unmitigated willingness to just blow everything up ensures it remains a fleeting yet fun ride.