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The Wave
Bølgen
2015 105 min Norway R 16+
★6.9
Action, Thriller, Drama
Director: Roar Uthaug
Trailers
Description
Although theorised, no one is really ready when a mountain pass above the scenic and narrow Geiranger fjord in Norway collapses and creates a tsunami over 300 feet high. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.
Budget:
$5.9M
US Gross:
$177,404
Worldwide:
$12.98M
Starring
Kristoffer Joner
Actor
Ane Dahl Torp
Actor
Jonas Hoff Oftebro
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2016
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Bølgen is widely regarded as a technically proficient and visually impressive disaster film that brings grounded, realistic stakes to a familiar genre. While praised for its effective use of a modest budget, opinions are divided on whether the character development and pacing provide enough emotional weight to distinguish it from standard Hollywood blockbusters.
| Cinematography | The film utilizes high-quality visual effects that remain remarkably convincing despite a modest production budget. | |
| Originality | The inclusion of authentic geological history and documentary-style context adds a layer of credibility to the disaster scenario. | |
| Acting | Kristoffer Joner delivers a strong, grounding performance that effectively anchors the family-centered stakes of the narrative. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is highly divisive; some viewers appreciate the slow-burn build-up, while others find the lengthy, dialogue-heavy introduction to be sluggish and unengaging. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is viewed as both a competent genre entry and a derivative work, with critics split on whether the character motivations are rational or prone to frustrating, illogical tropes. | |
| Emotion | While the technical execution is praised, many feel the film fails to offer sufficient emotional depth or character development to make a lasting impact. |