The Impossible

J. A. Bayona's 2012 film follows a family separated while on holiday during the 2004 tsunami. The mother and eldest son find each other; there is no word of the rest. The hospital scenes sit at the film's centre. The film stages the disaster in detail; the narrative gives the recovery the same weight and pulls the music back. The tsunami scenes were shot largely in a water tank. Naomi Watts was nominated and Tom Holland plays his first major role. The film rests on the story of a real Spanish family, and making its characters British was criticised. Who it's for: those who like true story adaptations and survival drama. Who it's not for: viewers troubled by scenes of injury; the film shows them openly.