There’s a line in Kanye West’s 2016 album, The Life of Pablo, that says, “Waves don’t die, Let me crash here for the moment.”
The ebbs and flows of life are inevitable, but it’s resilience that will make or break a man. This is the takeaway from director Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, who returns home to A24 with his third feature film. Pitch-perfect in every way, Waves is a mesmerizing portrait of a hard-lived life and the discovery that every day is a new opportunity for compassion, acceptance, and peace.
In an intensely moving performance, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (who previously worked with Shults on It Comes at Night) plays Tyler, a high school athlete with a promising future, a steady relationship, and a supportive family. His father (Sterling K. Brown) takes the tough love approach to parenting, riding his son to always push harder, faster. “We are not afforded the opportunity of being average,” he reminds Tyler, and that despite their suburban middle-class status, society will always identify them as only African-American. Tyler escapes the pressure in his home life by spending time with his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie), riding in cars with the music blaring and making out on the South Florida coast. High school love is all-consuming, and theirs is no different. However, when a shoulder injury sidelines Tyler from his college prospects, his life begins to spiral out of control.
Read More: A Beginner’s Guide To: Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Waves is split into two acts, and the second half of the film focuses on Tyler’s family who is left to deal with the aftermath of his circumstance. Newcomer and breakout star Taylor Russell is the protagonist of the second act. Russell plays Tyler’s younger sister Emily, and she is burdened with the emotional weight and societal exile Tyler left her with. She finds comfort in the arms of Luke (Lucas Hedges), a well-intentioned guy who shares her grief and offers her a healthy escape. Their relationship is pure and allows for Luke and Emily to heal both separately and together.
Waves‘ boundary-pushing cinematography and constant fluidity generate a feeling of unrest, excitement, and energetic catharsis. From 360 degree turns to controlled yet constant pans and rotations, DP Drew Daniels (who also shot Euphoria) makes every scene come alive. An overly saturated red color pops throughout the film in the most unexpected of ways. From the opening title to Tyler’s bedroom curtains, Alexis’ prom dress to sirens and blood, this color infiltration is intentional. Red evokes feelings of passion, anger, and strength, beautifully mimicking the emotional spectrum and character arch of both Tyler and Emily. Further aided by seamless editing by Isaac Hagy, a chilling score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and set to the decade’s best soundtrack (stream it here), Waves is a full-body, full sensory experience.
Like the title suggests, Waves will put one through a range of emotions; first comes the rumblings of uncertainty, then the crash of chaos, all to be swept away and reset to calm, steady waters. This rebirth cycle is a reminder that life goes on, despite the hardships, tragedies, and tears that act as roadblocks. Life stops for no man, and the awareness that we are in control of our actions and intentions makes navigating the hard times a little more bearable.
135 minutes. Opens this Friday at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark.
