The Impossible
Intense natural disaster drama starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, based on the true story of one family’s harrowing experience when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Thailand on Boxing Day 2004. The giant wave ultimately claimed 230,000 lives. From the director of The Orphanage.
Maria (Watts), Henry (McGregor) and their three sons begin their winter vacation in tropical Thailand. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying tsunami hits without warning. The film then chronicles the aftermath, as Maria - badly injured - and her oldest son (Tom Holland) search for help and the rest of their family.
2012Rating: M, contains adult themes113 minsSpain
ActionDramaTrue Story & Biography
- Director:
- Juan Antonio Bayona ('The Orphanage')
- Writer:
- Sergio G. Sánchez
- Cast:
- Ewan McGregorNaomi WattsGeraldine ChaplinTom HollandMarta EturaOlivia Jackson
The Impossible / Reviews
The New York Times
There is a troubling complacency and a lack of compassion... less an examination of mass destruction than the tale of a spoiled holiday.
Full review
The Guardian
Not especially complex, and not subtle, but there is judgment and intelligence in the simple idea of survival being the most agonising thing, and making survivor guilt the psychological aftershock of a shattering and irreparable blow.
Full review
Los Angeles Times
It is the kind of ode to the human spirit that you hope comes along, and not just during the holiday season.
Full review
Hollywood Reporter
A tremendously realistic disaster movie has an intense emotional payoff.
Full review
Empire Magazine
This rousing, superbly acted, no-holds-barred melodrama is a mighty feat of physical filmmaking.
Full review
A.V. Club
Confirms that Bayona is a major talent, with a skill for constructing sequences that build tension as masterfully as Steven Spielberg did in his '70s heyday.
Full review
Share