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Home/The China Syndrome/Similar Movies

The China Syndrome

Movies Like The China Syndrome (1979)

The China Syndrome is a 1979 drama, thriller film from James Bridges with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Tokyo Shaking and Silkwood.

Tokyo Shaking poster

Tokyo Shaking

2021

March 11, 2011. The biggest tsunami Japan has ever experienced triggers the Fukushima disaster. Risks are being downplayed but the foreign community in Tokyo is terrified by this tragic event and the fact that no one is capable of assessing its scope. Among them, Alexandra, a French executive newly arrived from Hong Kong to work in a bank, has to face this nuclear crisis. Torn apart between fol- lowing the company’s instructions and going back to her husband and children who are still in Hong Kong, she will find herself defending honor and given word, despite the pervading terror and chaos.

Silkwood poster

Silkwood

1983

A plutonium processing plant worker is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured, and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing safety violations.

Chernobyl Diaries poster

Chernobyl Diaries

2012

A group of six tourists looking to go off the beaten path, hire an 'extreme tour guide' who, ignoring warnings, takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but now a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years earlier. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, the group members find themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.

Pandora poster

Pandora

2016

When an earthquake hits a Korean village housing a run-down nuclear power plant, a man risks his life to save the country from imminent disaster.

Fukushima 50 poster

Fukushima 50

2020

Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan risk their lives and stay at the nuclear power plant to prevent total destruction after the region is devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Blackhat poster

Blackhat

2015

Nicholas Hathaway, a furloughed convict, and his American and Chinese partners hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta. As Hathaway closes in, the stakes become personal as he discovers that the attack on a Chinese nuclear power plant was just the beginning.

A Good American poster

A Good American

2015

A Good American tells the story of the best code-breaker the USA ever had and how he and a small team within NSA created a surveillance tool that could pick up any electronic signal on earth, filter it for targets and render results in real-time while keeping the privacy as demanded by the US constitution.

The Chain Reaction poster

The Chain Reaction

1980

Contaminated by a nuclear-plant spill, an Australian worker hides with a woman and tries to warn the public.

San Andreas poster

San Andreas

2015

In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.

Logorama poster

Logorama

2009

Two cops portrayed by Michelin Men chase an armed Ronald McDonald through the streets of a fictionalized, stylized city.

Cutter's Way poster

Cutter's Way

1981

Alex Cutter is a boozy, belligerent and deeply cynical Vietnam veteran whose encounter with a landmine during the war has left him minus an eye, a leg and an arm. When his drifter playboy friend Richard Bone is falsely accused of murder, Cutter sets out for revenge in his own inimitable style.

The Net poster

The Net

1995

Angela Bennett is a freelance computer systems analyst who tracks down software viruses. At night she hooks up to the internet and chats to others 'surfing the net'. While de-bugging a new high-tech game for a cyber friend, she comes across a top secret program and becomes the target of a mysterious organization who will stop at nothing to erase her identity and her existence, in order to protect the project.

The Monster That Challenged the World poster

The Monster That Challenged the World

1957

Giants Mollusks are released from the earth by an earthquake and start killing people.

The Last Patrol poster

The Last Patrol

2000

After a massive earthquake destroys Los Angeles, a new order is formed. But disagreement among the ranks leads to more war and disruption, and The Last Patrol must bring order if there's to be any hope for the future.

Rising Sun poster

Rising Sun

1993

When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Connor and Web Smith are called in to investigate. Although Connor has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.

The Legend of Zorro poster

The Legend of Zorro

2005

Despite trying to keep his swashbuckling to a minimum, a threat to California's pending statehood causes the adventure-loving Don Alejandro de la Vega and his wife, Elena, to take action.

Kaboom poster

Kaboom

2010

Smith, a typical young college student who likes partying and engaging in acts of random sex and debauchery, has been having some interesting dreams revolving around two gorgeous women -- and is shocked when he meets the dream girls in real life. Lorelei looks just like his fantasy brunette, while a mysterious red-haired girl being chased by assassins draws him into an international conspiracy. Or is it all just a drug-induced hallucination?

Dr. No poster

Dr. No

1962

Agent 007 battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ryder, to confront a megalomaniacal villain in his massive island headquarters.

Carry On at Your Convenience poster

Carry On at Your Convenience

1971

At WC Boggs' Lavatory factory, Vic Spanner is the union representative who calls a strike at the drop of a hat. However, eventually everyone gets fed up with him.

Live! poster

Live!

2007

A mockumentary following an ambitious TV network executive trying to produce a controversial reality show where contestants play Russian Roulette.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The China Syndrome?

The top films similar to The China Syndrome by MovieMagicScore are Tokyo Shaking (6.1), Silkwood (6.9), Chernobyl Diaries (5.3). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The China Syndrome worth watching?

The China Syndrome holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 495 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The China Syndrome?

The China Syndrome (1979) is a drama, thriller film directed by James Bridges, starring Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Jack Lemmon.

Where can I find more recommendations like The China Syndrome?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Tokyo Shaking Movies like Silkwood Movies like Chernobyl Diaries Movies like Pandora Movies like Fukushima 50 Movies like Blackhat

About movies like The China Syndrome

This ranked list pairs The China Syndrome (1979), a drama and thriller film from James Bridges, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jane Fonda take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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