The Impossible Review

The Impossible is a horror film for people who don’t normally watch horror films. It’s a film that treats its stars brutally, steering them from one physically or emotionally painful scene to the next. The fact that it is ostensibly a family drama set in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia makes the whole film come off as an odd experience.

On Sunday, December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake struck off Sumatra. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, and it was catastrophically destructive. The earthquake, which occurred in relatively shallow water near the coast, touched off a series of tsunamis that wiped portions of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand off the map. The seabed rose several meters during the quake, and a tremendous volume of water was literally heaved outward. Investigations in the aftermath found that, near Aceh, Indonesia, the tsunami reached a height of 80-100 feet.

The Impossible follows the fate of one British family vacationing in Thailand over Christmas holiday. The family – including the father Henry (Ewan McGregor), mother Maria (Naomi Watts), and sons Lucas (Tom Holland), Simon (Oaklee Pendergast), and Thomas (Samuel Joslin) – are a typical, happy, upper-middle-class family enjoying a holiday break. Henry works for a firm in Japan, Maria is a former nurse turned stay-at-home mom who looks after the couple’s three young sons.

The real deal. Not from the film.

Their idyllic lives are a few of many that were destroyed by the tsunami. Massive waves rush in, pulverize their luxurious resort, and sweep them away. Now separated and injured, the family must reunite and find their way home while negotiating treacherous terrain and surviving in a foreign land.

The depictions of the tsunami are jaw-dropping. Director Juan Antonio Bayona takes what could be a cheesy disaster-film-of-the-week flick on SyFy and oversees a truly impressive spectacle. I don’t know how they managed to show such wholesale destruction on screen, but everyone involved in the production should be proud of the accomplishment. When the first tsunami wave hits the resort, it’s as if the audience is transported to the shoreline of Thailand. It looks, sounds, and feels like the terrible experience it must have been. And, even after the waves recede, the landscape itself is devastated, a once beautiful land completely ravaged. It’s a dangerous landscape, forever altered.

Again, the real deal. Not from the film.

The Impossible reminded me of a horror film. This is mostly because of the brutality inflicted on the leads. Maria in particular is beaten and battered from the moment the first wave hits. She is severely injured, but, despite her wounds, she has little choice but to continue on. There is too much at stake for her to simply curl up and bleed out. She and her oldest son Lucas must find their way to a hospital so she can receive treatment. They really can’t waste time looking for the rest of the family. The punishment that Maria endures and her tolerance for pain is impressive. Things go bad for her in the very beginning, and they just spiral down from there. I’ve seen heroines from horror movies endure far less.

Henry doesn’t escape punishment either. His trauma is primarily mental as he is faced with tracking down his wife and eldest son while trying to ensure the safety of his two youngest sons. He repeatedly finds himself in tough situations, and there are no easy choices. The landscape is dangerous, and simply walking around through the destruction brings considerable risk. What should he do with a three and five year old in such a place?

The acting in The Impossible is fantastic across the board. It’s one thing to have an actress beaten up by a giant wave and struggling to protect her son in a dangerous environment. It is another thing altogether for that actress be the amazing Naomi Watts. There is a maternal element to Watts that I have always loved, and she has a chance to show that here as Lucas' protective mother. McGregor shines as the father who has to make the difficult decision about whether to look for his wife and son or stay close to the two sons he has left. There are scenes with both of them that will break your heart, or at least make you want to go home and hug your kids*. Even the child actors prove to be more than capable. It can be tough on young actors to stay focused and put in strong performances, but director Bayona does a great job of drawing out realistic acting from the kids. Holland in particular does a great job as the oldest son who looks after Maria. He may have a future in Hollywood if he wants it.

Screenwriter Sergio Sanchez crafts a compelling drama that will have you on the edge of your seat and cheering for a big family reunion by the end of the film. But, the people who would be most drawn to a strong, character-driven drama might be turned off by the brutality. There are many who will be shocked by the sight of Naomi Watts leaving a bloody trail behind her in filthy, putrid water, or the stacks of bodies strewn by the roadside, or the general destruction across the landscape. It is worth noting that the film is based on the real-life experiences of a Spanish family who were vacationing in Thailand when the tsunami hit. But, depicting the events of the tsunami so graphically actually does more harm than good. Many of the scenes would look at home in the latest slasher flick; they feel out of place in a drama.

Still, if you have the stomach and can handle the bloodshed, The Impossible offers a powerful drama that is worth seeing. It is, hopefully, the closest you will ever get to a tsunami. Nobody needs to experience 80-foot waves to know how devastating they can be. Nobody needs to think about being separated from your family in a foreign land after a major catastrophe. All you need to do is see The Impossible, and you will know everything you need to about such a terrible event.

3.5 stars out of 5

Did you think The Impossible went too far in its frank depiction of tsunami destruction? Am I being a pansy for getting upset over seeing Naomi Watts with a boo-boo on her leg? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!

* I went home and hugged my cat.