Though Tom Holland is now most known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man – and understandably so – the actor actually got his first big break when he played a twelve year-old kid in true-life disaster drama The Impossible.
Directed by J.A. Bayona, who applied the skills he’d learned in the horror genre to a real tale of terror, the 2012 pic tells the story of a family’s experience during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which left over a quarter of a million people dead. It was a modest hit upon release, raking in close to $200 million at the global box office, and cemented Holland as a rising star to watch out for.
Unfortunately, in the years since it arrived in theaters, the movie’s been forgotten about and overshadowed by the actor’s MCU work, but now that it’s on Netflix, it seems to be finding a new audience. In fact, it currently sits as the eighth most-watched film on the platform’s global charts, though the reason behind its sudden popularity eludes us.
Indeed, it’s hard to say why so many people are now flocking to this one. It hasn’t found itself back in the headlines or anything like that recently, but still, it’s earning a lot of love on Netflix today. Whatever the reason may be, we’re happy to see it getting some more attention.
The Impossible is far from an easy watch, given the nail-biting tension throughout, but it’s a terrific, moving film and one that still holds up as a riveting tale. Whether you’ve never seen it, or caught it years ago but haven’t revisited it since, be sure to check it out on Netflix if it’s available in your region. If nothing else, it’s interesting watching a pre-MCU Tom Holland giving it his all in the role that first alerted Hollywood to his talent.
