The Impossible

The film opens with the Álvarez-Belón family arriving at their hotel in Khao Lak, Thailand on Christmas Eve. They are excited to start their vacation, and they spend the next few days enjoying the beach, the pool, and each other's company.

On Boxing Day, a massive earthquake strikes off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a tsunami. The tsunami travels hundreds of miles across the Indian Ocean, and it makes landfall in Thailand without warning.

The Álvarez-Belón family are caught in the tsunami wave at their hotel. They are swept away and separated from each other. Maria (Watts) and her son Lucas (Holland) are badly injured, but they manage to find each other. They are taken to a hospital, where Maria undergoes surgery for her injuries.

Henry (McGregor) and the two younger boys, Tomás and Simón, also survive the tsunami. They are separated from Maria and Lucas, and they are forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of the disaster.