It's a Christmas time of 2004. An ordinary British family Henry (Ewan McGregor) and Maria (Naomi Watts) visits Thailand on vacations with their three children: Lucas, who is just turned 7, and his younger brothers Simon and Thomas (children are played by Tom Holland, Oaklee Pendergastand and Samuel Joslin, accordingly). As they reach the Thai hotel, their family suit is upgraded to villa, a horrible decision, as it turns after. They are exchanging some Christmas gifts and heading to the coastline the morning after. Nothing has presaged a catastrophe. But meanwhile the terrible roar is heard from the seaside, and, in the moment, a giant wave of Tsunami covers the shoreline with all the tourists on it, including Henry, Maria and their beloved children. The wave is crashing trees, houses, cars, throwing human bodies to right and left. In a few seconds it appears that Henry, Simon and Thomas were picked up by the strong current and wiped to the inner part of land while Maria and Lucas are struggling for their survive in the roaring waves full of fallen tries which strike them inflicting terrible wounds, and making "the happy end" for them almost impossible. The movie, filmed by Juan Antonio Bayona, an outstanding Spanish director and producer, keeps us on the toes these first 20 minutes. The super-realistic 3D sound of imminent Tsunami is awesome, the pictures of scorched post-Tsunami landscape are phenomenally affecting, and the rest of the story based on true life events is very touchable and tragic.