A Netflix Film Review Of ‘The Impossible’

In 2004, the world saw one of the largest modern tragedies to date. After a strong underwater earthquake, coastal areas across 14 countries were hit with harrowing tsunamis. As entire cities were wiped away by what was quite literally a wave of destruction, the death toll soon reached a staggering figure: 230,000, to be precise. Netflix’s film The Impossible does a powerful job of synthesizing the survivor story of María Belón, her husband Enrique, and their three children: Lucas, Simón, and Tomás. The movie follows the family’s struggle to survive as the humongous tidal wave hits their resort in Thailand, where they were spending a vacation. 

Amidst this movie, various themes arise, many of which provide a needed feel-good moment for the audience’s attendance. 

The Impossible mainly follows the story of María and her son Lucas after they were separated from the rest of their family. Upon the wave’s arrival, María and Lucas trudge hopefully towards safety, fueled almost solely by their love for one another. 

The connection between María and Lucas is what kept them going through adversity, and María specifically, who suffers a variety of life-threatening injuries when the wave hits, holds on because of the responsibility that she feels for protecting Lucas and keeping him safe. They do an excellent job emphasizing the importance and power that bonds formed within a family can have and beautifully portrays the loving relationship Lucas has with his mother. 

Similar to how María feels about protecting Lucas, Lucas inversely feels the same way. On many occasions, Lucas takes charge of the situation and navigates dirty water and broken cities with his mother quite literally depending on him for mobility. As a small child, he’s able to keep his mother safe, find her shelter and nourishment, help treat her wounds and keep her motivated enough to push through what seems like an unlivable moment. 

For clarification, María experiences the following when hit by the wave:

– Underwater submergence for 3 minutes

– A broken nose

– Kidney, bladder, and intestinal bleeding

– Large, life-threatening gashes across her thigh and chest

What this movie quantifies, however, is that a family’s love can sometimes surpass all logical limitations. In a genuinely heartwarming climax to what had previously been a wild journey alongside the main characters, we see the family be reunited, and the mother eventually pushes through risky surgery and make it out alive. 

Shockingly enough, this movie does stick to the facts. María was in that situation, and the love for her family and Lucas did indeed allow her to persevere through her adversity. Because of that, the implications are substantial. To some extent, we can say that the human reaction to disaster is immediate survival. When immediate survival is secure, humans tend to think of what is closest to their heart and use it as motivation to continue their lives, even if it becomes problematic. It signifies that for many, coping includes perspective and realizing that your current state of being is not analogous to that of your typical status quo. I believe that María thinks of her family as a coping mechanism because she knows that their normal life doesn’t involve being part of one of humanity’s most significant disasters. 

This is not a tell-all verdict. For many, the strength of their love for someone or something is not enough to get through such a massive crisis. The Impossible however, shows that it is, in fact, possible.