The Wave

June 23, 2016

Michael Cox READ TIME: 3 MIN.

When we think of Norwegian film we usually think of small scale character portraits and intimate dramas. In fact, it's rare that the big budget disaster film, a favorite genre for the summer blockbuster, is produced outside of Hollywood.

Thanks to more affordable visual effects systems and software, for the first time in history, Norway has released a no-holds-barred disaster thriller. "The Wave" imagines the inevitable avalanche and tsunami that will happen in Geiranger, Norway when the mountain �kerneset, which we know now has a huge crack in it, collapses into a fjord in the Sunnm�re region.

The Geirangerfjord and the small tourist village at the end of it is the third biggest cruise ship port in Norway, due in part to the spectacular, solid-rock mountain that overlooks it. Kristian (Kristoffer Joner) is sad to be leaving it, but for the first time in his life everything is really coming together. He's acquired a prestigious new position at an oil company where he'll not only make a great salary but also have a smart home with all the latest technology.

On the day he's about to leave Geiranger and drive with his family to their new home, he senses that something is wrong: there is a dramatic drop in the ground water levels, and the huge crack in the menacing mountain -- which has been expanding for years -- is starting to compress. Though everyone routinely continues their daily lives, they all know that once the alarm sounds they have 10 minutes to dash to higher ground before an enormous wave envelopes their homes, their property and their lives.

"The Wave" Blu-ray preserves the impressive visual effects of the big screen with a crumbling mountainside and surging waters that are far beyond what you would imagine to be possible. The film is thoughtful and character driven for nearly the first half, so that the effect is all the more devastating when the disaster strikes.

This Blu-ray disc includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, an interview with director Roar Uthaug and three brief looks at the creation of the visual effects. These are all between three and five minutes long.