In his 2018 blockbuster Skyscraper, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson defies the laws of physics again and again as he attempts to save his family from a massive burning building.
But before The Rock made a questionable leap from a construction crane into a flaming high-rise, there were dozens of other films that featured iconic skyscraper scenes. From the silent films of the 1920s to Tom Cruise's high-stakes Mission: Impossible stunts, here are 30 skyscraper movies that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.
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Furious 7, 2015
OK, this one does feature The Rock, but it also features a car flying out of a skyscraper, so we had to include it on this list.
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ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images
King Kong, 1933
King Kong scales the Empire State Building — and things don't go too well for him.
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King Kong, 2005
You know he's gotta climb the Empire State Building again in the 2005 remake.
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Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
The Towering Inferno, 1974
Steve McQueen and Paul Newman star in this '70s classic about a massive office building that catches fire.
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Die Hard, 1988
Bruce Willis' John McClaine has to save a group of hostages — his wife included — from an LA high-rise.
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Man on Wire, 2008
This documentary tells the story of Philippe Petit's famous 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers.
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The Walk, 2015
And here's the Joseph Gordon-Levitt version of Philippe Petit's infamous stunt.
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Divergent, 2014
Everyone just loves to zip-line off skyscrapers in this dystopian flick.
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Insurgent, 2015
Yeah, they still do some zip-lining in the sequel.
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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, 2011
Tom Cruise scales Dubai's Burj Khalifa, because of course he does.
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The Dark Knight, 2008
Would it even be a legendary superhero movie if there weren't some sort of battle on a skyscraper?
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Tower Heist, 2011
Watch Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller try to break into a luxury NYC condo.
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The Tower, 2012
A luxury skyscraper becomes engulfed in flames in this South Korean thriller.
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Blade Runner, 1982
The Tyrell Corporation Headquarters in this dystopian film was inspired by the biblical Tower of Babel.
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Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
Metropolis, 1927
1982's Blade Runner also drew inspiration from the gothic buildings in Fritz Lang's Metropolis.
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TriStar Pictures
Sleepless in Seattle, 1993
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally meet on top of the Empire State Building in this classic rom-com.
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Larco Productions
Q, 1982
'Q' is a giant winged serpent that lives on the Chrysler Building, NBD.
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American Stock Archive/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Safety Last!, 1923
Harold Lloyd climbing the outside of an NYC store is an iconic image from the silent film era.
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MGM
Skyscraper Souls, 1932
The movie follows the goings-on in a 72-story building in New York City, and it was super sexy — for 1932.
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Men in Black 3, 2012
Will Smith's jump off the Chrysler Building is guaranteed to make your stomach churn.
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Spider-Man, 2002
His main superpower is basically swinging from skyscrapers.
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The Amazing Spider-Man, 2012
Different lead actor, same skyscraper-swinging.
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Ghostbusters, 1984
55 Central Park West is a pretty building in Manhattan... and also a portal to evil in Ghostbusters.
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Twentieth Century Fox
Independence Day, 1996
The U.S. bank tower gets owned by aliens.
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Getty Images
Godzilla, 1954
"An enraged monster wipes out an entire city!"
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Godzilla, 1998
Still enraged, still with plans to wipe out an entire city.
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Paramount Pictures
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986
The trio looks down at Chicago from the Willis Tower in this '80s classic.
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The Raid: Redemption, 2011
From the trailer: "Twenty elite cops. One ruthless crime lord. Thirty floors of chaos."
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Sharknado 2: The Second One, 2014
Two shark-filled tornados appear in Manhattan... and converge at the Empire State Building.
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Mars Attacks!, 1996
The 1996 film used footage of the real-life demolition of Las Vegas' Landmark Hotel and Casino.
