The Great Flood Review: A bold, new, memorable experience
Spoilers ahead for The Great Flood!
I totally agree with others... yes, this film is not at all what I expected. But, unlike many people, I found this to be to the movie's benefit, not weakness. So let's dive into why The Great Flood is perhaps the most interesting film I watched in 2025.
Let's start with The Great Elephant in the room of The Great Flood. From everything the film advertises, it seems to be a pretty straightforward disaster flick. A lot of people wanted that from the movie, and I can completely see why they were disappointed when the film went in a different direction.
The film ends up becoming a Groundhog Day, mother-son sci-fi drama about how humanity can't be truly replicated by AI, and that having children should be a priority in our lives. The movie becomes so much more about its themes than anything else, and it really worked for me.
One criticism I've extensively seen of the movie is "What is the point?" Why did they decide to try to bring back humanity with AI? Isn't that such a horrible idea? And that's really why this movie worked for me. It presents a hopeful ending, but it really ends on a note where I'm just baffled by why everybody thinks AI is the answer to everything. I think this commentary on AI works because it shows that humans will try to find a spectacular method to do something that ultimately doesn't pan out. Even if I didn't agree with many who watched it, I enjoyed how much discussion this film ignited. This is one of those movies that I instantly went online to see what people were saying about it, which is a good sign that a film made an impact on me.
The Great Flood completely deviates from initial expectations and, while the film takes things in some wild directions, it's all the better for doing so. The emotional stakes are potent, the commentary is interesting, the twists hit hard, and the plot is profound—all elements that come together to create a powerful film.
The film ended up becoming more of a disaster-horror film than it was originally pitched because, frankly, I'm a lot more terrified of a crazy organization trying to reproduce humanity with AI than of a large flood. This sci-fi twist is what really made this film cut through for me. If it had started as a sci-fi movie or stuck to the disaster formula, I don't think I would've liked it much.
Another brilliant positive of this film is its cinematography and production design. Every single shot of this film is beautiful, and I loved the visual storytelling. The mother's shirt was a compelling image of the lengths we are willing to go to for the people or things we love. The apartment complex itself, as well as the sci-fi elements that follow, were really stylistic and impactful.
The only major criticism I agree with about this film is, yes, the kid is annoying. While he was much less annoying with the sub than the dub, I can't say I didn't find him a little overly stupid. I have cousins his age, and they are far less dense than he is. However, I think it really brought home the theme of a mother's unconditional love, even if that may not have been the intended effect of making him annoying (if his being annoying was even the intended effect).
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 78%
Letter Score: A+
Star Ranking: 4 out of 5
The Great Flood completely deviates from initial expectations and, while the film takes things in some wild directions, it's all the better for doing so. The emotional stakes are potent, the commentary is interesting, the twists hit hard, and the plot is profound—all elements that come together to create a powerful film. This film absolutely worked for me, and it's a movie I won't be forgetting anytime soon... it was interesting and like nothing else I've ever watched.
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