The Impossible

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The Impossible

PG-13

2012

1h 54m

Drama

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

81%

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197 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A couple and their three sons encounter terror, courage and compassion following the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand.

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Critics Consensus

The screenplay isn't quite as powerful as the direction or the acting, but with such an astonishing real-life story at its center, The Impossible is never less than compelling.

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Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

03/21/2019

4/5

[The Impossible] shows us devastation, yes, unbelievable havoc, yes, horrific human loss, yes. But also, exemplary courage and love and compassion, all done with freshness and feeling.

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

09/01/2017

4/5

A heart-wrenchingly tense survival drama based on 'an incredible true story' of a far more 'homely' looking Spanish family, this is a cut above 1990s eco-disaster movies such as Dante's Peak.

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David Denby

The New Yorker

01/28/2013

Alas, the movie tells a rather commonplace story.

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Joe Lipsett

Murder Made Fiction Podcast - Bloody Disgusting

Nov 11

4/5

Bayona's devastatingly visceral film is an emotional gut-punch. While accusations of white washing the tragedy are relevant, the focus on a single five person family all surviving the tsunami is undeniably compelling.

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Anushka Halve

Film Companion

12/11/2023

This isn't a narrative of a larger-than-life hero swooping in to save the day; rather, it's a testament to the combined efforts of ordinary individuals, bound by humanity, who become heroes in the crucible of disaster.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

09/04/2023

4/5

What one single movie can do is give at least one true story profound respect and realism. Most importantly, what the beauty of any movie can do is remind us all of the hope and survival that rises from the depths of tragedy and loss.

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Debi M.

@RT70254073 Jun 25

A true story disaster movie. I'll never forget this tsunami in real life.

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Tiffski

Mar 19

So so moving… it was a terrible disaster but this was a good movie.

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Will B

@Wiggyb123 Feb 1

A heartwarming, tear dropping movie based on a true story about the devastating tsunami in Thailand. Good cast and action scenes throughout.

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Jim P

@RT08384096 Dec 31

It's not a great movie, but it scores highly because it's based on a true tragic story. You can actually imagine being caught in that terrible tsunami...

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Maxsuel S

@Maxine191 Dec 29

Um filme que caiu no esquecimento das pessoas,mais que é incrível,tem um grande potencial para ser mais reconhecido e menos subestimado porque ele é simplesmente algo que transmite tensão e ao mesmo tempo satisfação com algo que retrata tão bem a realidade de vários países e que muita das vezes não são usados para filmes como acontecimentos naturais,se tornou um dos meus filmes favoritos.

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Maria R

@Mhr_94 Nov 24

I really liked the fact that this movie didn't only dwell on the initial part of the disaster but also took the aftermath into account. A lot of disaster movies and even news coverage end as soon as the what is considered the worst is over. Here they took the time to show the confusion, the uncertainty and chaos of having to deal with that much damage. Instead of showing a vast amount of terrible injuries and making it look like an overwhelming horror show, there was focus on only a few of them and they were more impactfull for it. The acting was great, and because it was based on a true story it didn't feel contrived in the twists and turns that happened. They also managed to tell the stories of many people other than just the main family, which really showed how lucky they were in comparison. It also had excellent sound design that really set the tone from the very first scene.

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J. A. Bayona

Director

Naomi Watts

Maria

Ewan McGregor

Henry

Tom Holland

Lucas

Samuel Joslin

Thomas

Oaklee Pendergast

Simon

The Impossible: Official Clip - Thank You

2:27

The Impossible: Official Clip - Is it Over?

2:59

The Impossible: Official Clip - What's Your Name?

2:35

The Impossible: Official Clip - You Came Back

2:40

The Impossible: Official Clip - Calling Home

2:45

The Impossible: Official Clip - The Tsunami

2:38

The Impossible: Official Clip - Maria's Ordeal

2:55

The Impossible: Official Clip - It's Going to Be Okay

2:45

The Impossible: Official Clip - A Beautiful Mystery

2:19

The Impossible: Official Clip - Reunited

2:12

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Synopsis

A couple and their three sons encounter terror, courage and compassion following the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand.

Director: J. A. Bayona
Producer: Belén Atienza, Álvaro Augustin, Ghislain Barrois, Enrique López Lavigne
Screenwriter: Sergio G. Sánchez
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Production Co: Institut Valencià de Cinematografia, Apaches Entertainment, Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), Summit Entertainment, VS Service, Canal+ España, Telecinco Cinema, Mediaset España
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing Injury Images|Brief Nudity|Intense Realistic Disaster Seq)
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 7, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.0M
Runtime: 1h 54m