Three years after surviving a deadly tsunami, geologist Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner) is estranged from his family as he struggles to deal with the fallout and the constant fear of another tragedy. When his friend and fellow scientist shares with him his data on the tremors in Oslo, Kristian rushes to the city to learn more and to try and save his family from an impending tragedy.

The Quake is the sequel to The Wave and stars the same actors as the central family. Much like its predecessor, The Quake puts many big budget Hollywood disaster movies to shame. By focusing on so few people, you become invested in their survival and how they fight to overcome such a huge natural disaster.

Everything about The Quake builds tension brilliantly. The first half of the film is focussed on Kristian’s research and how he struggles to connect with people when he feels he has to be ready to save people at any time. The Quake does a great job as showing the lasting effects on living through an ordeal like a tsunami and even if you survive it, there’s still so many things you must come to term with. The score is haunting and slowly amps up the tension as Kristian begins to put things together, even when others aren’t sure there’s anything to worry about.

When disaster does hit, it’s horrifyingly spectacular. In a strange way the catastrophe seems almost earnt as you’ve had to wait for so long, and by waiting, you’ve become more attached to the characters and are more invested in their fates. With the aftershocks and collapsing buildings, The Quake never stops being a nerve-wracking experience as everything that could possibly go wrong does.

The Quake keeps you on the edge of your seat but never forgoes common sense or character development. Just like the first film, it’s well worth the watch – even if it may make you slightly hesitant about visiting Norway any time soon, because as it says in the end credits, the country is overdue for a large-scale earthquake. 5/5.