[6][7][8] The movie depicts the Åkerneset crevice collapsing in Møre og Romsdal, creating an avalanche resulting in an 80-metre (260 ft) tall tsunami that destroys everything in its path.

[9] Geologist Kristian Eikjord is working his final day in Geiranger before moving to Stavanger with his family, when sensors on the mountain indicate groundwater has disappeared at Åkerneset.

He and his coworker Jacob investigate the crevice and find that the sensor wires have snapped due to the movements inside the mountain.

Kristian's former boss Arvid agrees to enter a higher state of alert, but not to sound the evacuation alarm due to being mid tourist season.

The alarm is sounded shortly before the rockslide crashes into the fjord, creating a gigantic tsunami high that roars towards Geiranger.

With ten minutes until the tsunami hits Geiranger, Kristian and Julia, stuck in traffic, realize their altitude is low.

In the now devastated town, Kristian quickly finds the destroyed evacuation bus full of dead passengers, including Vibeke but not Idun and Sondre, and he starts moving towards the hotel.

Down in the bomb shelter, the water level rises, and they are unable to open the door and swim out, as debris out in the corridor is blocking it.

Norway is a rockslide prone area (created by the Caledonian orogeny) and The Wave is based on a rock-slide tsunami incident which destroyed the village of Tafjord on 7 April 1934, killing 40 people.

And for a climactic scene, in which Joner tries to rescue his family from a flooded hotel, he trained with free-diving instructors to be able to hold his breath for three minutes underwater.

[15] At the Kanon Awards for 2016, The Wave won for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role (Kristoffer Joner), Best Producer, Best Editing, and Best Production Design (Lina Nordqvist).

[16] The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise aimed at the performances of the cast (mostly the two protagonists), cinematography, score and visual effects.