The Wave

Name: The Wave
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Released: March 4, 2016
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 68

2016

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 64 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 64 Ratings

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The Wave (US)

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: March 4, 2016 | Not Rated

Summary: Nestled in Norway's Sunnmøre region, Geiranger is one of the most spectacular tourist draws on the planet. With the mountain Åkerneset overlooking the village — and constantly threatening to collapse into the fjord — it is also a place where cataclysm could strike at any moment. After putting in several years at Geiranger's warning center,Nestled in Norway's Sunnmøre region, Geiranger is one of the most spectacular tourist draws on the planet. With the mountain Åkerneset overlooking the village — and constantly threatening to collapse into the fjord — it is also a place where cataclysm could strike at any moment. After putting in several years at Geiranger's warning center, geologist Kristian (Kristoffer Joner) is moving on to a prestigious gig with an oil company. But the very day he's about to drive his family to their new life in the city, Kristian senses something isn't right. The substrata are shifting. No one wants to believe that this could be the big one, especially with tourist season at its peak, but when that mountain begins to crumble, every soul in Geiranger has ten minutes to get to high ground before a tsunami hits, consuming everything in its path. … Expand

Director: Roar Uthaug

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 105 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Mar 3, 2016

The Wave, Scandinavia’s first-ever disaster film, is the polar opposite of a disaster. It’s a triumph of modest means, a tribute to the power of storytelling on a human scale. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Mar 3, 2016

The filmmakers (the script is by John Kare Raake and Harald Rosenlow Eeg) cook up the sort of unpleasantness that turns the better disaster pictures, like this one, into nail-biters. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Mar 4, 2016

The Wave’s centerpiece is a critical ten-minute span between when the rockslide occurs and the wave reaches civilization. Played out in real time, this is a period of sustained and effective tension. It’s real, raw, and ragged. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Mar 4, 2016

The Wave adds credible writing and effective acting to gangbusters special effects, resulting in a white-knuckle experience a bit higher on the plausibility scale than what we're used to from Hollywood versions of the genre. Read full review

Stephanie Merry

Mar 3, 2016

The human scale of this story about a very real threat to one Norwegian village makes the movie more tragic and also more chilling. Read full review

The Guardian Jordan Hoffman

Mar 5, 2016

Even though The Wave is fiction, there comes a point where it ceases to be nail-biting fun and just an exercise in voyeuristic cruelty. Read full review

Timothy E. Raw

Feb 28, 2016

It sketches an imperiled family worth caring about, but any goodwill is soon weathered by wave after wave of contrivance following the initial town-leveling event. Read full review

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User Reviews

poshFU

Jul 29, 2016

The film took time to develop characters that you can connect with. though it may be a formulaic disaster movie. Much more emphatic than usual Hollywood disaster movies. Worth seeing. And not overburdened by too much special effects.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

foxgrove

Aug 20, 2016

It is uncharacteristically rare for the disaster genre to be chosen as the main topic for a foreign language film, but it is to the credit of the Wave that the result still oozes all the style and class that the best foreign language films have. The film takes a formulaic scenario, aIt is uncharacteristically rare for the disaster genre to be chosen as the main topic for a foreign language film, but it is to the credit of the Wave that the result still oozes all the style and class that the best foreign language films have. The film takes a formulaic scenario, a mountain slide that threatens to cause a tsunami in the Norwegian fjords, but is engagingly played from the get go. Director Roar Uthaug keeps the pace energetic and with the help of some really snappy editing keeps the tension building right through to the somewhat conventional ending. The film is strong in the areas of sound and music and the wave special effects are stunningly realised. Following the Tsunami the cinematography also comes into its own including some tense underwater sequences.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

Jollyjoe1000

Jul 12, 2019

its a simple decent disaster movie good special effects (even with the budget it had).

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

tethysdust

Sep 14, 2016

It was a solid disaster film, and very entertaining. The plot was a bit simple, though. It's refreshing to see such a suspenseful non-American film with nice visual effects.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

LeZee

Mar 13, 2016

They expected it, but never prepared for it.

This is the latest natural disaster flick from the Norway. About an inland tsunami that caused due to the landslide near the lake that based around the mountains. Kind of fresh in that perspective, because as far I remember I haven't seen aThey expected it, but never prepared for it.

This is the latest natural disaster flick from the Norway. About an inland tsunami that caused due to the landslide near the lake that based around the mountains. Kind of fresh in that perspective, because as far I remember I haven't seen a movie evolve in this theme which is only a slightly differs from water reservoir burst and flood accidental concepts.

It's definitely a good watch, something I learnt from the Norwegian side of strategy to tackle the natural disasters. But the film was about what happens when you know the dangers and for some reason fail to the take action at the time, like maybe the human error or the negligence.

It was sent to represent the nation in the 'the best foreign film' category at the 2016 Oscars, but failed to make the progress. I kind of enjoyed it, but not that impressive other than the quality performances and the visuals. I feel the story was too short, I meant not the runtime. Technically, there was no story other than the opening few minutes.

It would have been better if it had the hard hitting emotions with the catchy lines and depth in all the main characters. Because when the film ends, you probably begin to forget it already, which usually won't happen for a Hollywood flick. That's the major difference if you compare it with the American films.

"That rock has stood for thousands of years and will stand securely for thousands more."

Okay, I agree Hollywood makes the best disaster movies. But other film industries as well catching up the trend, utilising the modern CGI and trying to match with them. Korea did the same with their first disaster film 'Tidal Wave' back in 2009. Remember this is Norways first step as well and somewhat excelled, especially in the technical area.

For unknown actors and the language, these films are restricted or depended on the domestic market only and this film did great by setting up a record for that year in the revenue. But films like these are rarely recognised in the international arena, other than by the critics through film festivals. What I think is they need to improve by commercialising the overall product a bit if they want the international market like once again saying what the Korean film industry did.

It opens with a simple drama that centres around a family from a small town who're facing the usual family issue. At the end of the first half, the disaster strikes, which was just around the 5 minutes. So you are going to miss those Hollywood propaganda like ships capsized or the falling skyscrapers. The usage of graphics were limited, but the later scenes were green screen shots. So I warn you to keep your expectations low.

The next half was the aftermath of the calamity where the people go look for their beloved ones. But it focused only the one family, and their involvement, which is more or less similar to 'The Impossible'. The supporting characters are the weak point in the entire narrative. One of the few things I like about this film was this one looks more natural and realistic.

I won't officially declare it a must see, it was not bad either. You might like it more than me. The movie is worth a watch other than often you encounter the influence of other flicks. You can't complain for those, basically, they are like a blueprint for a theme like this. If you're able to comply with pouring clichés, you could have a good time with it, in my opinion.

6.5/10… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

netflic

Mar 14, 2016

It’s disaster movie loosely based on facts that a few Norwegian towns located in picturesque fjords were destroyed by rock-slide caused tsunamis in the 20th century.

The movie was competing for Oscar in the Best Foreign Movies category. Every cliche on the books for disaster movies wasIt’s disaster movie loosely based on facts that a few Norwegian towns located in picturesque fjords were destroyed by rock-slide caused tsunamis in the 20th century.

The movie was competing for Oscar in the Best Foreign Movies category.
Every cliche on the books for disaster movies was present in this film.

People’s actions seem to be unreasonable and fake.

Aftermath scenes cheesy and artificial.

Cinematography deserves a credit, but was the only thing I enjoyed in this film.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Broyax

Jul 28, 2021

Il paraît que dans les fjords en Norvège, il peut arriver qu’un bout de montagne s’y casse la gueule, ce qui provoque un énorme raz-de-marée… et c’est déjà arrivé en 1905. Alors, les Norvégiens ont fait un film entier là-dessus alors qu’il auraient dû se limiter à une omelette.

Bien malIl paraît que dans les fjords en Norvège, il peut arriver qu’un bout de montagne s’y casse la gueule, ce qui provoque un énorme raz-de-marée… et c’est déjà arrivé en 1905. Alors, les Norvégiens ont fait un film entier là-dessus alors qu’il auraient dû se limiter à une omelette.

Bien mal leur en a pris, car ils ont fait une belle grosse merde qui s’étire lamentablement sur pas loin de deux plombes : cette merdaille se traîne comme un escargot mort, mort d’ennui bien entendu. Il ne s’y passe en effet rien du tout, sauf au bout éventuellement de trois quarts d’heure où l’on voit l’ombre d’une vague… puis ça retombe dans le marasme de l’inanité des dialogues à deux de tension et des crétins qui surveillent leurs écrans (oh dis donc, ç’a n’a pas l’air bon là, tu crois que la montagne va nous tomber sur le coin de la gueule ?).

Dans la dernière demi-heure ou plutôt les 20 dernières minutes, on suit quelques andouilles en plongée sous-marine impromptue non désirée, on voit peut-être bien une ou deux grosses vagues qui balayent des bagnoles et… puis, c’est tout. Et le reste, c’est la gentille famille niaise qui raconte de la merde et qui meuble comme chez Confo… ou Ikéa plutôt pfff…… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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