The Impossible (2012)

The critic calls it an emotionally realistic and frightening disaster film, praising its sustained tension and performances. She singles out Tom Holland’s portrayal of Lucas and the tsunami sequence’s visceral impact.

Sharkey finds the film profoundly moving and affecting, praising its balance between disaster spectacle and intimate family drama. She particularly singles out the poignant bond between Maria and Lucas and the sensitivity with which the film depicts the tsunami’s human cost.

Wise finds the film affecting and powerful, praising its emotional immediacy and human scale. He singles out Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor’s performances, especially Watts’s scenes with Tom Holland.

Harley finds the film smart, sensitive and deeply affecting, praising Bayona’s careful balance of tragedy and hope. He singles out the tsunami sequence’s visceral force and the cast’s performances, especially Naomi Watts and Tom Holland.

Chang praises the film as a harrowing, masterfully made disaster drama, while noting that its emotional manipulation and imposed-feeling conclusion blunt its later impact. He singles out the visceral tsunami sequence and detailed soundscape for their extraordinary physical intensity.

Lodge finds the film a rousing, superbly acted feat of physical filmmaking, despite its Anglicised approach to the tragedy. He praises the tsunami sequence’s effects and sound design, while criticizing the focus on Western victims over Asian victims.

Kohn finds the film a visceral technical achievement weakened by overwrought sentimentality. He particularly praises Bayona’s terrifying, visually striking reconstruction of the tsunami.

The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also does not show what the critic praised or criticized.

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint could be verified.

The page returned an access error, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available text.

The critic finds the film tremendously powerful, though at times relentlessly tearful and over-manipulative. The immersive, superbly edited tsunami sequence is singled out for praise.

Hynes gives the film 2/5, faulting its framing of global calamity through a white perspective. The available text singles out that perspective as the central complaint.

Quinn finds the film technically impressive and emotionally affecting, but ultimately complacent and insensitive in narrowing a mass tragedy to one privileged Western family. He especially praises Naomi Watts’s performance and the tsunami’s vivid, forceful depiction.

Ebiri criticizes the film as manipulative and tactless, despite praising its direction and performances. He singles out Naomi Watts’s compelling physical performance while faulting the story’s focus on a white family amid the largely ignored suffering of Thai survivors.

The critic condemns the film as a tasteless disaster spectacle that distorts the tsunami’s human toll. He especially objects to its erasure of Thai suffering, portraying local people chiefly as helpers to white survivors.

The critic calls the film a powerful, harrowing must-see and praises its emotional impact. He singles out Ewan McGregor’s breakdown scene and describes his performance as Oscar-worthy.

The critic finds it an intense, intimate family drama that effectively conveys the family’s bravery and resourcefulness. Naomi Watts’s largely wordless performance is singled out as the standout.

Wilkinson finds the film visceral and compelling, though knowingly melodramatic and emotionally manipulative. She singles out its disaster effects and the strong performances, especially Tom Holland's.

Dunn finds the film crippled by its focus on a British family during an Asian disaster, despite its effective opening. He praises the realistic tsunami sequence and Tom Holland’s standout performance, but criticizes the later melodrama.

The critic finds the film well-made and acted but ultimately unsuccessful as either conventional disaster entertainment or fully devastating drama. They praise the tsunami sequence’s realism and intensity, while faulting the film for narrowing its focus and failing to convey the scale of the tragedy.

The headline signals a negative verdict, describing the film as overwrought and drowning in melodrama. The available page does not reveal a specific element the critic singles out beyond its melodramatic tone.