Netflix’s latest disaster mini-series is captivating audiences with its intense portrayal of a volcanic eruption and the far-reaching global impact it could have.
From zombie outbreaks to asteroid collisions, the disaster genre has always captivated our imaginations. A new series adds to this thrilling legacy with a fresh twist: a volcanic eruption on the Canary Islands sets off a chain of events that could drastically alter the world as we know it.
Already climbing Netflix’s Top 10 in the UK, the series has audiences hooked, with one viewer commenting: “The most nerve-wracking four episodes I’ve ever binged. Incredible!”
Another adds: “An ecological nightmare brought to life with stunning visuals and raw emotion.”
“I didn’t expect to be this hooked. The stakes feel so real,” shares a third.
A fourth viewer writes: “A perfect mix of science and suspense. Netflix really outdid itself this time.”
Meanwhile, a fifth adds: “It feels like a warning disguised as entertainment.”
Created by Martin Sundland (The Quake), Lars Gudmestad (Headhunters), and Harald Rosenløw Eeg (The Wave), La Palma was directed by Kasper Barfoed (The Nurse).
The series, co-written by Gudmestad and Rosenløw Eeg, stars Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, and Ingrid Bolsø Berdal.
The plot centers on a family vacationing on La Palma, where their peaceful Christmas is shattered by alarming volcanic activity. As a young scientist detects signs of an impending eruption at the Cumbre Vieja volcano, the family must struggle for survival against ash, gas, and lava.
But the stakes extend far beyond the island, as the eruption threatens to plunge a massive chunk of land into the ocean, triggering a tsunami capable of devastating coastlines across the Atlantic.
What sets La Palma apart is its foundation in real-world science. The series is inspired by a 2001 hypothesis by Steven N. Ward and Simon Day, which proposed that a volcanic collapse at Cumbre Vieja could trigger a ‘mega-tsunami.’
However, more recent studies, including one by the United States Geological Survey in 2021, have cast doubt on this scenario, suggesting that such collapses happen gradually rather than in one catastrophic event.
Interestingly, Cumbre Vieja erupted in 2021, and while the eruption was destructive, it did not trigger the dramatic chain reaction depicted in the series.
