Nothing is more powerful than the human spirit.
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.
The Impossible (2012) is a drama, thriller and history film directed by J. A. Bayona, released on September 9, 2012 with a runtime of 1h 53m. It stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland and Samuel Joslin. Viewers rate it 7.4 out of 10 across 6,842 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Impossible before you stream it.
Naomi Watts
as Maria Bennett
Ewan McGregor
as Henry Bennett
Tom Holland
as Lucas Bennett
Samuel Joslin
as Thomas Bennett
Oaklee Pendergast
as Simon Bennett
Marta Etura
as Simone
Sönke Möhring
as Karl Schweber
Geraldine Chaplin
as Old Woman
Ploy Jindachote
as Caregiver
Jomjaoi Sae-Limh
as Red Cross Nurse
Johan Sundberg
as Daniel
Jan Roland Sundberg
as Daniel's Father
Directed by J. A. Bayona, written by María Belón and Sergio G. Sánchez, produced by Álvaro Augustín, Belén Atienza and Ghislain Barrois.
Average viewer score of 7.4/10 from 6,842 ratings.
Incredible story with remarkable performances by Naomi Watts and Tom Holland and amazing staging. However, Bayona repeats the same mistakes from other movies like "The Orphanage" when he creates an uneasy situation through some unexplained weird behavior.
Reviewed on September 30, 2014
Another amazing story based in truth. I think it's called The Impossible because those sets must have been near impossible.
Reviewed on February 4, 2024
After a bit of a bumpy flight to Thailand, a family arrive in Phuket for what ought to have been a dream holiday. Well mother nature had other plans and a earthquake far out at sea generated a series of tsunamis that we now know killed almost a quarter of a million people. That could well have included "Henry" (Ewan McGregor), "Maria" (Naomi Watts) and their children "Lucas" (Tom Holland), "Simon" (Oaklee…
Reviewed on March 9, 2024
Movies like this make me very sad. 😭😭😭 They also frighten me. The acting is superb.
Reviewed on June 9, 2025
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The Impossible (2012) is available to stream on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Angel Studios and Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Impossible (2012) includes Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast. The film was directed by J. A. Bayona. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Impossible was released on September 9, 2012 and runs for 1h 53m.
The Impossible (2012) holds an average rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 6,842 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, thriller and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Impossible trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
