Waves

Name: Waves
Genre: Drama, Sport, Romance
Released: November 15, 2019
Duration: 135 min
Rating: 80
Cast: Alexa Demie, Avis-Marie Barnes, Bill Wise, Clifton Collins Jr., David Garelik

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 45 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 95 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 95 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: November 15, 2019 | Not Rated

Starring: Alexa Demie, Avis-Marie Barnes, Bill Wise, Clifton Collins Jr., David Garelik, Hanna Balicki, Joshua Brockington, Justin R. Chan, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Krisha Fairchild, Lucas Hedges, Neal Huff, Renee Goldsberry, Sidnei Barboza, Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell

Summary: Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, Waves traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family—led by a well-intentioned but domineering father—as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss. [A24]

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Genre(s): Drama, Sport, Romance

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 135 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Alex Saveliev

Dec 8, 2019

In a brave move, bound to startle viewers used to conventional structures, Shults shifts gears, subtly layering shades of complexity without ever weighing the film down. Read full review

100

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Sep 7, 2019

Waves is unexpectedly ambitious and confident, the work of a filmmaker in complete control of his talents and using them to challenge himself. This is a deeper and more profound film than your average character drama, a masterpiece that’s hard to walk away from without checking your own grievances and grief. The ripple effect continues. Read full review

Chris Evangelista

Jan 20, 2020

With Waves, the director has crafted his most ambitious film to date – a dizzying, weighty, heart-wrenching saga of one family disintegrating right before our eyes. Read full review

Peter Travers

Nov 11, 2019

Even in the face of grievous misfortune, the characters created by Schults exude a tenderness that allows this achingly intimate drama to move past sorrow and hit you like a shot in the heart. Read full review

Tara Brady

Jan 20, 2020

Harrison Jr is frazzled and electric; Russell is wounded and circumspect. The audacious drama is matched by musical cues from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score and a wildly impressive collection of tunes, running from A$AP to SZA. Read full review

Candice Frederick

Nov 17, 2019

Waves isn’t an easy film to digest, and it’s not without its flaws — Emily’s narrative at the end makes it a bit disjointed, and Tyler’s story never feels resolved — but it stays with you mostly because of its shattering performances that bolster Shults’ story. Read full review

Simran Hans

Jan 20, 2020

Trey Edward Shults’s bombastic third feature crashes and recedes, leaving few revelations in its wake. Read full review

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User Reviews

zNeverSleeping

May 1, 2020

Waves nos dá uma oportunidade incrível de experienciar situações e aprender com as mesmas. Nos ensina a ser uma pessoa melhor sem que precisemos passar pela prática do erro. É um filme pra te fazer pensar e refletir sobre o que é contemplado, e por isso e muito mais ele merece serWaves nos dá uma oportunidade incrível de experienciar situações e aprender com as mesmas. Nos ensina a ser uma pessoa melhor sem que precisemos passar pela prática do erro. É um filme pra te fazer pensar e refletir sobre o que é contemplado, e por isso e muito mais ele merece ser compartilhado.

Começando do princípio, temos a apresentação do Lifestyle de Tyler, que logo deixa claro a influência que seu pai tem na sua vida e como ele é cobrado o tempo todo. Tudo parece ir muito bem, até que as coisas começam a dar errado. O problema é que o personagem não tem o mínimo psicológico para lidar com aquilo, e o diretor brilha em preencher as lacunas e criar uma relação factível entre todos os personagens primários ali existentes. O elenco tá muito bem escalado e ninguém parece fora do ponto - e nem podiam, visto que a trama exige de todos um comprometimento enorme.

Como é de costume da A24, aqui há um uso muito interessante das black bars, que vão se fechando cada vez mais que o protagonista se sente perdido. As transições são pontuais e quase que imperceptíveis, sendo uma experiência absoluta para quem assistiu numa sala de cinema ou numa tela Amoled. Os diálogos são incrivelmente reais e convincentes, sendo destaque a discussão entre Tyler e sua, até então, namorada, que é de uma tensão fora do normal, pois já é sabido que o protagonista é mentalmente instável. Toda a construção da cena, desde a fotografia a composição sonora, como o alarme sinalizando que o cinto não foi posto, causam um sentimento ansioso e emergencial único. A cena da festa também é marcante no que se diz respeito ao suspense, fotografia e paleta de cores. Todo o universo construído até então é altamente verossímil, o que junto a instabilidade do Tyler, nos põe numa situação de perigo iminente. Sabemos o que pode acontecer e tememos pelo bem dos personagens, principalmente porque fica explícito que para tudo aqui há uma consequência. O comportamento do Tyler é advindo de seus traumas da infância, a falta de sua mãe, mais toda a pressão do pai. Seu amparo nas drogas como um modo paliativo para diminuir sua dor é muito claro. Sua incompreensão de valores comuns, falta de controle sobre a situação - e negação disso, decorrente de sua renúncia - provam esse ponto. Nada disso significa que ele não é culpado e que foi compreensível, e sim que ele é um ser humano, não um monstro.

A fotografia, quando abordada a visão do Tyler, além de indicar uma perda de perspectiva, também demonstra uma confusão mental, como na sua cena de luta, onde o mesmo a perde. Ela também trabalha muito com planos fechados, focando muito na expressão do personagem. A trilha sonora do filme é riquíssima e exige uma atenção a parte do público para notar o que quer ser dito ou passado, sendo a segunda opção mais orgânica e menos desprovida de observação. A sutileza do diretor/roteirista ao abordar assuntos aqui é maestral e digna de oscar. Nada parece forçado ou fora de hora, muito menos clichê. Sua obra é autoral e passa longe de ser militante. Temas como transtorno psicológicos - mecanismo de defesa, drogas, "doutrina esportiva", influência familiar e sua importância emocional na infância, consequências, Cyber bullying, aborto, racismo, pressão familiar, entre demais outros, são abordados de maneira orgânica e exigem devida reflexão sobre. Porém, o filme surpreende ainda mais com sua decisão de abordar as consequências do ato que Tyler cometeu, focando agora na família como um todo. Essa decisão foi perigosa, mas extremamente bem pensada.

Como o drama de todos os personagens foi bem fundamentado, seu desenvolvimento não foi nada além de natural. Há uma empatia por todos ali, advinda do luto, medo, angústia, raiva e ressentimento que os personagens estão passando. Cenas como o diálogo entre Emily e seu pai são no mínimo emocionante, junto ao encontro de Luke e seu pai, que traumatizou a sua infância. Todo o luto melancólico pelo qual Catharine passa é de doer o coração, e sua interpretação pela Renée Elise é de cair o queixo, junto com todos no projeto.

Waves nada mais é que um filme sobre consequências, que como uma onda, vão se formando e uma hora vem a chegar na beira da praia.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

grwood21

Nov 26, 2019

Daring, emotional, meaningful, a must-see for suburbia youth and aspiring filmmakers.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

jbatthemovies

Nov 16, 2019

Incredible. I’ve never felt so much in a film. I’m still recovering and I can’t stop thinking about it. Probably my favorite film of the year

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

Bertaut1

Feb 6, 2020

Bleak, but never despondent; confidant and audacious filmmaking

As with writer/director Trey Edward Shults's previous films, the unconventional Thanksgiving drama Krisha (2015) and the brilliant but poorly marketed post-apocalyptic thriller It Comes at Night (2017), Waves is about a familyBleak, but never despondent; confidant and audacious filmmaking

As with writer/director Trey Edward Shults's previous films, the unconventional Thanksgiving drama Krisha (2015) and the brilliant but poorly marketed post-apocalyptic thriller It Comes at Night (2017), Waves is about a family under intense pressure. And as with those films, if you're into formalism, you'll find plenty here to keep you happy; elaborate camera moves, varying aspect ratios, unusual colour correction, striking shot composition, a sound design which bleeds into the soundtrack/score (and vice versa), and a quite audacious shift in focalisation at the half-way point. On the other hand, it's emotionally bruising and takes its sweet time getting anywhere, asking rather a lot from the viewer. But if you have the patience and are willing to take the journey on which the film wants to bring you, the cathartic rewards are many.

In a middle-class suburb in Florida, Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is a popular high school senior and skilled wrestler. Deeply in love with his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie), he also has a good relationship with his sister Emily (Taylor Russell) and stepmother Catherine (Renée Elise Goldsberry). However, His relationship with his father Ronald (Sterling K. Brown in full-on stare mode) is somewhat strained due to Ronald, himself a former athlete who was forced to retire due to a knee injury, constantly pushing him to succeed. When Tyler is diagnosed with a Level 5 SLAP tear, he's told he'll need surgery or the damage will become permanent. However, he continues to wrestle and starts to self-medicate with Ronald's painkillers. At around the half-way point of the film, the focalisation then shifts to the socially awkward Emily and her burgeoning romance with Tyler's wrestling teammate Luke (Lucas Hedges). Meanwhile, the family must try to come to terms with a horrific act of violence.

The most noticeable thing about Waves is the aesthetic audaciousness, and for all its narrative gymnastics, it's the visuals that really pop. No matter how elaborate Shults's use of form becomes, it's always in service of the story, with the camera being used thematically rather than as a passive tool of observation. For example, the opening scene inside a car occupied by Tyler and Alexis is shot with the camera spinning in circles, completing multiple 360-degree rotations, immediately inculcating us into their sense of abandonment and exuberance.

In the first half of the narrative, which is focalised by the restless Tyler, the handheld camera rarely stops moving, reflecting his frenetic energy. However, when we shift to the quieter Emily, Shults uses more tripod shots and a slower editing rhythm, reflecting Emily's calmer disposition. Additionally, whereas the first half is awash in garish blues, reds, and greens, the second has a more muted naturalistic look. Another crucial part of the visual design is the aspect ratio(s). Beginning in 1.85:1, the frame gradually reduces in width until it gets to 1.33:1, which is how Tyler's section ends. Then, at the start of Emily's section, it starts to widen again, eventually reaching 2.35:1. The narrowing ratio of the first half reflects how Tyler feels he's being progressively trapped as things continue to go wrong, whilst the widening ratio of the second half reflects Emily's determination to recover from tragedy and reconcile her family. It's pure cinema, showing rather than telling.

Looking at the themes, Ronald barely acknowledges Emily, instead pouring all his effort into Tyler, through whom he's trying to live vicariously, pushing him to be the successful athlete that he himself could have been. However, Ronald is by no means the villain. He seems to genuinely feel that raising Tyler in this manner is the best thing, telling him, "I don't push you because I want to, I push you because I have to". The problem with all of this is that neither Tyler nor Ronald have a backup plan, so when things start to go wrong, Tyler immediately falls apart, essentially becoming a pseudo-Job figure, albeit without Job's self-awareness.

In terms of problems, there are a few blatantly expositionary scenes, such as a scene where Ronald outlines how hard it is for a black man to get ahead in the US. It just doesn't ring true that this is the first time Ronald has said this to Tyler. Surely he would have given him this talk in his youth? It's a well-acted scene in isolation, but in the context of the overall script, it's too literal. Additionally, Shults tends to veer close to melodrama on occasion.

Nevertheless, although it's initially bleak, Waves ultimately reveals itself to be about the ability of love to conquer despair, about how life can persist no matter the circumstances, about the importance and restorative power of family. Shults uses this framework to build a quite audacious monument that celebrates the ordinary without ever overshadowing it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All_ButTrU4

Jan 3, 2022

Breathtaking. Sterling K. Brown heads this outstanding cast as a stern father whose demanding relationship with his son is the driving factor behind this film's absorbing and powerful look at a family. Interestingly, even though the family is black, it has nothing to do with the story orBreathtaking. Sterling K. Brown heads this outstanding cast as a stern father whose demanding relationship with his son is the driving factor behind this film's absorbing and powerful look at a family. Interestingly, even though the family is black, it has nothing to do with the story or situations. The first half focuses on the son's struggles that lead to tragedy, then it the centers around the daughter and the family's attempts to rebuild their relationships. This sounds heavy and it is, but the uniformly riveting performances and the slightly experimental, always brilliant direction by Trey Edward Shults solidifies the skills of this important talent. The equally intense score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross amps up the drama, while adding a potent overlay of sound. Although this film could have been slightly shorter (it's 2:15) and used fewer tears, it's still an affecting and complex story told with impressive skill… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ben1322

Sep 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was a confusing one. I’ll start with the first half of the film.
It’s hard for me to give any film a negative review because usually the intentions are unclear. However, I thought that the first half of the film was unnatural in dialogue, forced in development and overall poor and predictable. They tried so hard to make the film relatable that it ended up being the opposite. I found it incredibly difficult to garner any sympathy for Tyler due to the forced character development. When Tyler finds out about the injury, he spirals down into a depressive state; the actions that followed were almost as if the director was checking off items on a list of what a teenager may do when they are feeling depressed. A drug and alcohol problem comes seemingly out of nowhere with no context. I thought the dialougue between Tyler and Alexis on the way home from the abortion center was unnatural and forced, but I thought throughout the film the acting was great. The climax of the film, when Tyler kills Alexis, was very well done. The camera work in conjunction with the suspenseful music and Harrisons’ acting show how drastic a situation can escalate too. The second half of the movie was extremely well done. Emily and Luke’s interactions are by far the most believable and relatable in the film. The soft feeling towards the entire second half with the knowledge of what happened in the first balance the film very well. Oftentimes we forget that a film typically focuses on one subject and fail to realize what effect that subject may have on others; this film brilliantly explores, in depth, the life of a second character. It is puzzling how one part was forced/unnatural while the other was so well paced and relatable. Maybe that was Shults’ intention. Regardless of the intention, I appreciated the creativity to split the film in two. I can’t give it a higher rating because I thought the first half was mediocre, but I can truly appreciate the second half.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JNavas

Dec 9, 2019

What a disappointment. What a waste. Artsy and repetitive to an absurd and distracting degree, overwhelming the good acting. I stopped caring about the characters before the halfway point. There's a good movie in there somewhere, but only if you chop out at least 30 minutes, and round outWhat a disappointment. What a waste. Artsy and repetitive to an absurd and distracting degree, overwhelming the good acting. I stopped caring about the characters before the halfway point. There's a good movie in there somewhere, but only if you chop out at least 30 minutes, and round out all the characters.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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