'Gut-wrenching' sci fi disaster film to air this weekend - where to watch

The 1998 science fiction disaster film, Deep Impact, is scheduled to be broadcast on television this weekend.

The film will be shown on Channel 4 on Sunday (November 24) and will also be available for viewing on the streaming service 4 on Demand.

The plot revolves around humanity's efforts to prepare for and obliterate a seven-mile wide comet that threatens to collide with Earth and trigger a mass extinction. It boasts a star-studded cast including Morgan Freeman, Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave and James Cromwell.

Emmy Award-winning director Mimi Leder, known for her work on The Peacemaker, Thick as Thieves and On The Basis of Sex, directed Deep Impact.

Interestingly, the film was released in the same summer as Armageddon, a movie with a similar theme that ultimately won the box office battle. Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis, grossed $553.7 million worldwide against a budget of $140 million. Despite this, Deep Impact still proved profitable, earning $349.5 million from an $80 million budget.

Although both films received similar reviews from critics, Deep Impact was deemed more accurate. It ranked as the sixth highest-grossing film of 1998, with Armageddon taking the top spot, followed by Saving Private Ryan, Godzilla, There's Something About Mary and A Bug's Life, reports the Mirror.

The 90s classic has a 6.2 rating on IMDb from 194 thousand votes and a 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Over the years, fans have repeatedly commended the film for its real-life authenticity and an evocative portrayal of human emotions.

One viewer remarked on Rotten Tomatoes: "The film portrays very well the human element and does something I rather enjoy."

"It plays on the emotions of the audience and creates sympathy for the characters and makes heroes out of the most unlikely of people." A separate reviewer observed: "It's a damn good movie that takes you on a gut-wrenching ride."

Another viewer described it as "an effective and entertaining catastrophic drama that sets itself apart by giving its attention to personal stakes," while one praised it for "breaking new ground in the action-movies genre, not merely for the stunning special effects... the film spends time and attention on the emotional life of its characters."

Deep Impact airs on Sunday at 3pm on Channel 4 and 4OD

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