Overview
A family's idyllic vacation turns into a harrowing fight for survival against nature's fury.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- urgent
- emotionally realistic
- intense movie night
- historical disaster film viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the emotionally realistic disaster staging, J. A. Bayona's direction, and especially the performances of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bayona follows Maria, Henry, and their children through separation and reunion, prioritizing their immediate ordeal over a panoramic account of the tsunami.
The tsunami is experienced through violent currents, injuries, debris, exhaustion, and Maria's weakening physical condition.
Christmas gifts, a resort villa, and a family pool day are overturned without warning by the tsunami.
The story begins with an affluent tourist family's holiday in Thailand before placing them inside the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster.
Films like The Impossible, and why
The Wave
Shared disaster-film suspense, survival struggle, grounded emotional realism, and focus on an ordinary family confronting overwhelming natural forces.
Deepwater Horizon
Shared true-event disaster setting, intimate family-centered drama, escalating catastrophe, and emotionally intense survival narrative.
Society of the Snow
Shared human-versus-nature premise, family separation, harrowing physical peril, and cathartic dramatic resolution.
The Day After Tomorrow
Shared disaster-thriller tension, realistic reconstruction of catastrophe, and emphasis on personal endurance rather than spectacle alone.
Movie Details
- Director
- J. A. Bayona
- Release Date
- 2012-09-09
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (6870)
Cast
- Naomi Watts
- Ewan McGregor
- Tom Holland
- Samuel Joslin
- Oaklee Pendergast
- Marta Etura
- Sönke Möhring
- Geraldine Chaplin
- Ploy Jindachote
- Jomjaoi Sae-Limh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Angel Studios, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Impossible about?
- A family vacation in Thailand becomes an intensely physical struggle for survival when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami tears its members apart.
- What is The Impossible like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Impossible as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Impossible violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Impossible as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Impossible?
- Critics broadly praised the emotionally realistic disaster staging, J. A. Bayona's direction, and especially the performances of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
- Which films are like The Impossible?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wave, Deepwater Horizon, Society of the Snow, and The Day After Tomorrow.
- How long is The Impossible?
- The Impossible runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Impossible?
- In United States, The Impossible streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Angel Studios, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
