The Impossible
Stream
Rent & Buy
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.
What critics thought
The Impossible draws strong responses for J.A. Bayona's visceral direction and committed performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, with Tom Holland also drawing notice in his feature debut. The film's central fault line is ethical rather than technical: admirers find it one of the most emotionally realistic disaster films in years, while detractors argue that centering the 2004 tsunami entirely on a white European family treats mass tragedy as a backdrop for feel-good survival drama.
“Watts packs a huge charge of emotion as the battered, ever-weakening Maria whose tears of pain and fear never appear fake or idealised. McGregor, cut and streaked with excessive blood he seems too distraught to wash away, keeps the tension razor-sharp as he pursues his family in a vast, shattered landscape.”
Deborah Young·The Hollywood Reporter
“Collaborating again after their impressive 2007 debut feature, The Orphanage, Bayona and Sanchez get many things right here, starting with their decision to eschew a more panoramic view of the disaster to follow one family's journey from start to finish.”
Justin Chang·Variety
“suffers from the greater problem of emphasising a feel-good plot within the context of mass destruction.”
Eric Kohn·IndieWire
“a troubling complacency and a lack of compassion in The Impossible”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Accolades
Genres
Drama, History, Thriller
Cast & Crew
J. A. BayonaDirector
Naomi WattsMaria Bennett
Ewan McGregorHenry Bennett
Tom HollandLucas Bennett
Samuel JoslinThomas Bennett
Oaklee PendergastSimon Bennett
Marta EturaSimone
Sönke MöhringKarl Schweber
Geraldine ChaplinOld Woman
Ploy JindachoteCaregiver
Fernando VelázquezComposer
María BelónWriter
Sergio G. SánchezWriter
Óscar FauraCinematographyThe Impossible
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.
What critics thought
The Impossible draws strong responses for J.A. Bayona's visceral direction and committed performances from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, with Tom Holland also drawing notice in his feature debut. The film's central fault line is ethical rather than technical: admirers find it one of the most emotionally realistic disaster films in years, while detractors argue that centering the 2004 tsunami entirely on a white European family treats mass tragedy as a backdrop for feel-good survival drama.
“Watts packs a huge charge of emotion as the battered, ever-weakening Maria whose tears of pain and fear never appear fake or idealised. McGregor, cut and streaked with excessive blood he seems too distraught to wash away, keeps the tension razor-sharp as he pursues his family in a vast, shattered landscape.”
Deborah Young·The Hollywood Reporter
“Collaborating again after their impressive 2007 debut feature, The Orphanage, Bayona and Sanchez get many things right here, starting with their decision to eschew a more panoramic view of the disaster to follow one family's journey from start to finish.”
Justin Chang·Variety
“suffers from the greater problem of emphasising a feel-good plot within the context of mass destruction.”
Eric Kohn·IndieWire
“a troubling complacency and a lack of compassion in The Impossible”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Accolades
Genres
Drama, History, Thriller
Cast & Crew
J. A. BayonaDirectorNaomi WattsMaria BennettEwan McGregorHenry BennettTom HollandLucas BennettSamuel JoslinThomas BennettOaklee PendergastSimon BennettMarta EturaSimoneSönke MöhringKarl SchweberGeraldine ChaplinOld WomanPloy JindachoteCaregiverFernando VelázquezComposerMaría BelónWriterSergio G. SánchezWriterÓscar FauraCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy