Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- melodramatic
- urgent
- disaster movie marathon
- korean cinema night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Haeundae's popular beach setting becomes the central site of the mega-tsunami's devastation.
Professor Kim's warning efforts are interwoven with Man-shik, Yeon-heui, and other vacationers' family and romantic storylines.
The tsunami threat is paired with tears, separation, romantic attachment, and family relationships.
The film transforms Haeundae, a major south-coast vacation destination, into the stage for a Korean disaster epic.
Films like Tidal Wave, and why
The Impossible
large-scale natural disaster spectacle combined with family drama and desperate survival choices
The Wave
catastrophic wave imagery, ensemble survival narratives, and emotionally direct disaster melodrama
2012
high-concept disaster thriller centered on mass evacuation, destruction, and personal loss
Movie Details
- Director
- JK Youn
- Release Date
- 2009-07-22
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (512)
Cast
- Sul Kyung-gu
- Ha Ji-won
- Park Joong-hoon
- Uhm Jung-hwa
- Lee Min-ki
- Kang Ye-won
- Kim In-kwon
- Song Jae-ho
- Kim You-jung
- Seong Byeong-suk
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tidal Wave about?
- A marine geologist races to save Haeundae from a mega-tsunami while intertwined families and lovers confront the cost of survival.
- What is Tidal Wave like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tidal Wave as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tidal Wave violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Tidal Wave as moderate.
- Which films are like Tidal Wave?
- Films with a similar feel include The Impossible, The Wave, and 2012.
- How long is Tidal Wave?
- Tidal Wave runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tidal Wave?
- In United States, Tidal Wave streams on Philo, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel.
