The Wave
2015, Adventure/Action, 1h 45m
109 Reviews 5,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Well-acted and blessed with a refreshingly humanistic focus, The Wave is a disaster film that makes uncommonly smart use of disaster film clichés. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Kristian Eikjord
Idun Karlsen
Sondre
Julia
Arvid Øvrebø
Margot Valldal
News & Interviews for The Wave
Critic Reviews for The Wave
All Critics (109) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (90) | Rotten (19)
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It's a real world ecological thriller that doesn't forget about the human story running through the heart of the narrative, and as such the film ends up being an avalanche of thrills and chills I cannot wait to watch again.
August 15, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review… -
The intimate focus, juxtaposed with the unsettling beauty of the backdrop and the eerie stillness of the aftermath, brings a novel twist to the well-worn disaster movie format.
August 14, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
The Wave is a small-town Norwegian disaster movie writ satisfyingly large.
August 12, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
More than anything, The Wave's ability to sustain tension out of its tired scenario makes it even more impressive than its Me Decade ancestors.
March 23, 2016 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review… -
The whole thing is pure formula. But The Wave, which was Norway's official entry for the Academy Awards, makes it work anyway.
March 17, 2016 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review… -
The movie works; the setting feels grandly unfamiliar, and the aftermath of the wave, with its elemental mix of water and fire, seems like a plausible vision of Hell.
March 7, 2016 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Wave
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Dec 25, 2017I saw the trailer for this at the Cleveland Cinematheque several months before I found it streaming. It had me on the edge of my seat and gripping the arms with white knuckles. This Norwegian thriller about a tourist town and one particular broken family is in the style of a classic disaster flick. The cliches are there, but recombined in a smart way. The human drama involved in surviving impossible odds and reconnecting with lost loved ones works as a gripping and heart tugging film. The effects are completely believable and will get the blood pumping.Byron B Super Reviewer
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Jan 03, 2017Deftly bettering a thousand typical Hollywood disaster flicks, The Wave offers up genuinely good characterisation and intelligent writing AND delivers on spectacle. Gorgeous photography, impressive CGI and what at least sounds like coherent science combine to make a really excellent film. The central performances are more than solid and the story beats work well. Finally, and it's a minor point, but it is the only film I can think of seeing (at least in immediate memory) where a very specific human behaviour occurs when someone panics and is convinced they may drown. Just one of the small moments that really impressed me. Bravo.Daniel P Super Reviewer
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Nov 16, 2016With some very fine acting, "The Wave" is of that unique brand of disaster film that is actually quite harrowing.Christian C Super Reviewer
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Sep 26, 2016http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/the-wave-blgen-dir-roar-uthaug-2015.htmlAnthony L Super Reviewer
The Wave (Bolgen) Quotes
Ristian Eikjord: | An 80 meter wave will overtake the island in 10 minutes! |
Ristian Eikjord: | We can make it! |
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