The story centers primarily on a family vacationing on the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, which belongs (both in the series and in real life) to Spain. During what was otherwise an idyllic vacation, a volcano on the island erupts, sending a massive 80-foot tsunami hurtling toward the island. La Palma therefore joins the ranks of countless disaster movies and shows—among them a 12-year-old movie also featuring a devastating tsunami that stars Tom Holland and Ewan McGregor.
Tom Holland & Ewan McGregor’s The Impossible Is Another Dramatic Tsunami Disaster Movie About A Family On Vacation
This 2012 Movie Has So Much In Common With La Palma
Like La Palma, The Impossible begins with a family going on vacation in a beautiful location. In The Impossible, this is Khao Lak, Thailand. The cast comprises Henry (Ewan McGregor), the father, and Maria (Naomi Watts), the mother, alongside their three children, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast).
The Impossible also shares beats similar to those in La Palma, with the family enjoying their vacation entirely unaware of what is coming when things suddenly take a very dark turn. This is slightly different in La Palma because, although the family has no idea they are about to experience a tsunami, the evidence has been mounting for those around them. In The Impossible, the giant wave comes entirely out of nowhere, giving them no chance of escape.
This makes The Impossible a perfect next watch for viewers who loved La Palma.
This makes The Impossible a perfect next watch for viewers who loved La Palma. In fact, arguably, The Impossible is even more thrilling because there is not as much buildup to the disaster event—viewers are taken by surprise at the very same time the characters are. The movie also shows in much greater detail what the fallout from this horrific incident entailed.
How The Accuracy Of La Palma’s Natural Disaster Emergency Compares To The Impossible
The Impossible Is Based On A True Story, Whereas La Palma Is Not
Incredibly, The Impossible is based on the true story of a family who experienced the real-life tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004. In fact, the family even played a role in the creation of the movie, adding to its sense of authenticity. This is another major difference between the two disaster stories, as La Palma is not based on a true story.
La Palma is not entirely fabricated, though. As mentioned, La Palma is a real location in the Canary Islands, and the island has experienced volcanic eruptions in the past. As the introduction of each episode of La Palma notes, since its last eruption, La Palma has also been seen as a “ticking time bomb” by some. Specifically, there has been scientific research from the University of California Santa Cruz suggesting that a disaster could occur if there was a landslide, similar to the one seen in the miniseries.
As is true of the disaster movie/show genre in general, both La Palma and The Impossible take liberties in terms of realistic depictions of natural disasters.
Of course, as is true of the disaster movie/show genre in general, both La Palma and The Impossible take liberties in terms of realistic depictions of natural disasters. La Palma has especially received some backlash for this, particularly with the conclusion of the series, which sees some truly logic-defying survivals. Nevertheless, that is part of the appeal of disaster stories for many, and viewers who loved La Palma should therefore absolutely give The Impossible a watch.
