By TeeJay Small
| Published
By now, we’re all aware that the Netflix library is loaded with well-made foreign films, broadening our worldview to a whole globe of excellent experiences. One such film includes The Wave, a critically acclaimed Norwegian project that hit Netflix after its release back in 2015. Fans of disaster movies should be sure to check this one out, as it offers some incredible thrills, stunning VFX shots, and terrifying concepts that will leave you kicking yourself for not having seen it sooner.
The Wave
Like many classic disaster films, the narrative of The Wave on Netflix kicks off with a group of specialized scientists studying bizarre phenomena in the natural world. One geologist in particular, Kristian Eikjord, becomes concerned when he realizes the groundwater has disappeared entirely beneath a mountainous fjord near his small Norwegian village.
As he studies the area, his family packs up their belongings in preparation for a move across the country. After a few hours of intensive geological surveys, Kristian and his team realize that their sensors have been damaged by an unusual amount of movement beneath the mountain, leaving them on high alert.
Avalanches, Rockslides, And Tsunamis
Before long, Kristian’s worst nightmares become a reality, as the underground movement gives way to a massive avalanche, which in turn causes a rockslide, which eventually leads to tsunami waves raising out of the ocean. Several of Kristian’s men are killed in the ensuing disaster, as he races to locate and save his wife and children before it’s too late. As the narrative of The Wave continues building to a terrifying climax, the Netflix movie reveals the shocking scale of real-life natural disasters.
Before The Wave landed on Netflix, the film premiered to massive critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival. Filmmaker Roar Uthaug, who would later go on to direct such features as 2018’s Tomb Raider and 2022’s Troll, even had the movie submitted as Norway’s Best Foreign Language Film pick at the Academy Awards. Though The Wave ultimately failed to earn an Oscar nomination, the film has wowed critics and audiences far and wide, resulting in a certified fresh critic score of 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Must-Watch Disaster Film
Personally, I’d say that The Wave is one of the better disaster films on the Netflix platform, second only to something like Adam McKay’s 2021 comedy sci-fi outing Don’t Look Up. To me, it seems like The Wave is a modern take on classic Roland Emmerich disaster movies such as The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, or Moonfall. As long as you don’t mind getting over the teeny tiny little speed bump of reading subtitles, you’ll come to find many excellent foreign movies on Netflix that also tick similar boxes.
Whether you’re already a fan of this film and you intend to stage a rewatch, or you’re just hearing about it now for the first time, be sure to stream The Wave on Netflix. Though the film packs a few unfamiliar faces in its cast, its narrative offers a shocking series of events that are all too relatable, as natural disasters are becoming significantly more frequent and severe as the years roll on.