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Volcano

Volcano

TV movie2009180 minMidcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Director
Uwe Janson
Starring
Yvonne Catterfeld, Katharina Wackernagel, Matthias Koeberlin, Heiner Lauterbach

When a dormant volcano suddenly erupts into activity beneath Laach Lake in the Eiffel mountains, panic breaks out among the 500.000 residents.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Volcano?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Volcano on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Volcano?

Volcano earns 2 badges, led by Bittersweet and Award Nominee.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Volcano worth watching?

Volcano's Midcredits score is the 19th percentile of all films, from 278 ratings across 3 sources. 25% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

19th percentile

Better received than 19% of films

31st percentile among Action19th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)26th
Approval (how many liked it)15th

54 /100

26th percentile of all films

41st percentile among Action26th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

25% liked it

15th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Action14th percentile among 2000s
25% rated it 7–1075% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

33rd percentile

278 ratings across platforms

21st percentile among Action26th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 22% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A German TV disaster film with decent production values and a mix of personal drama and volcanic action.

Fans praised

  • effective visual effects for a TV budget
  • entertaining disaster spectacle with good pacing
  • poignant and powerful emotional ending

Detractors panned

  • overlong and padded with insignificant subplots
  • clumsy writing mixing disaster with heavy human drama
  • cast relies on recognition rather than range

What stands out

Effects and spectacle60

good nuclear-like explosions for budget

EndingDivisive55

poignant and simple resolution

Cinematography50

competent TV visuals

Emotional impactDivisive50

divisive death scene and character arcs

ActingDivisive45

recognizable faces but limited range

PacingDivisive40

overlong second half feels forgettable

CharactersDivisive35

clumsy integration of personal tragedies

Plot and story30

unrealistic but acceptable for genre

Watch experience

What is Volcano like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseBittersweetDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its volcanic disaster and the characters' personal struggles with earnest gravity, though the domestic drama edges into melodrama.
The rideThe film builds from domestic tension to volcanic crisis, creating a sense of dread that erupts into tense survival, leading to a bittersweet final note.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional order, building up from domestic life to the eruption and then following survival efforts; the two-part TV format still follows a three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe balance of destruction and reflection leaves a bittersweet feeling that lingers, with the ending prompting thoughts about the small details of life.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film's plot is driven by the eruption of a dormant volcano, a natural disaster that characters must survive; this fits the overcoming_the_monster archetype with the volcano as an invading external force.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalFamily bonds
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores survival against a volcanic disaster while also focusing on family tensions and small-town relationships that surface before and during the crisis.
StanceThe film uses a volcanic eruption to warn of the dangers of natural disasters, following an ensemble of characters as they confront the crisis.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score
SettingA small town near Laach Lake in the Eifel mountains, Germany

Content guide

Is Volcano okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Volcano have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Volcano?

Cast

Yvonne Catterfeld
as Daniela Eisenach
Katharina Wackernagel
as Andrea Matting
Matthias Koeberlin
as Michael Gernau
Heiner Lauterbach
as Gerhardt Maug
Pasquale Aleardi
as Phil Friedrichs
Peter Benedict
as Prof. Dominic Merkt
Sonja Gerhardt
as Paula Maug
Xaver Hutter
as Rossi
Ursula Karven
as Renate Maug
Tom Lass
as Lupo

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Volcano?

Movies like Volcano include Earthquake (1974), Dam999 (2011) and The Abyss (2023). All three are stories about marriages in crisis; two are films that feel melodramatic.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 3 share its story type: disaster survival. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Volcano?

545 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: disaster survival. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.