Netflix Has A Tom Holland Disaster Movie You've Probably Never Seen
As it does at the start of every new month, Netflix has recently added a bunch of new movies and television to put on your watch list. There's one film that you should undoubtedly move to the top of your queue, and that's the Tom Holland-starring disaster film called The Impossible.
After starring on stage as Billy in Billy Elliot from 2008 to 2010, Holland booked his first live-action film role in The Impossible in 2012, when he was only 16 years old. Starring alongside big names like Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, Holland plays Lucas Bennett, the son of Watts' Maria and McGregor's Henry. Together, the family (which includes Lucas' two other brothers) face the natural disaster of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake and tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in 2004.
The movie was a huge success, with Holland receiving praise for his performance and lead actress Watts even earning an Oscar nomination. Of course, Holland's career has only gone up since then, with roles like Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more dramatic turns like the doomed young man Arvin in The Devil All the Time. Holland just finished production on the Uncharted film, adapted from the popular video game franchise, and is currently filming his third Spider-Man film. Having been on the streamer in the past, The Impossible just returned to Netflix and is already on the current list of the top ten most popular movies in the U.S.
While there's a chance that you've never heard of The Impossible, it's definitely a movie you need to check out.
The Impossible chronicles the harrowing experience of a family during the 2004 tsunami in Thailand
Directed by J.A. Bayona, The Impossible is based on the true story of María Belón, her husband, and their three sons, who survived the 2004 tsunami while on vacation in Thailand. While lounging poolside at a resort they were staying at, the family and other guests noticed a huge wave approaching, moments before it smashed through everything in its way.
In an interview with The Sun, the family spoke about their traumatic experience. After the wave hit, they were all separated. Their five-year-old son, who had just learned how to swim, miraculously found solace in a tree. Lucas Álvarez Belón, the real-life counterpart to Holland's character, said, "I remember my mother screaming my name. I jumped into the swimming pool — I don't know why. It probably saved my life but I didn't think about it."
With María there as an advisor to insure accuracy in The Impossible, the cast filmed all over Thailand where it actually happened, even at the same hotel where María and her family stayed.
The Impossible is a harrowing tale with a heartwarming message, as the family and other survivors help one another without a second thought. On top of that, María's son Lucas now works as a doctor fighting against the coronavirus. If that's not reason enough to check out Holland's portrayal of his story, we don't know what is.