浪潮 (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.

To say this film doesn’t follow a conventional narrative is putting it mildly. One can understand how some viewers will be thrown off, maybe even put off, by the radical change in plot course midway down the stream. I found it to be a fresh and bold and immensely effective choice.

Waves is a movie that tears itself apart halfway through with an unspeakable act of violence, then miraculously heals itself. Whatever your reaction to this ambitious, boldly original and hard-hitting family drama, you could never accuse writer-director Trey Edward Shults of holding anything back. He leaves it all on the floor, as they say in basketball.

Waves is as exhilarating and terrifying as the roller-coaster ride of adolescence itself, plunging viewers into a world brimming with music and color and movement and hair-trigger reflexes that feels exterior and interior at the same time.

The film is an emotional knockout that will leave even the most stoic viewer on the verge of weeping, but the shifts of the film’s second half are ultimately uplifting. Waves is a tremendous film, one that finishes with an appropriately transcendent final shot.

Frenetic, anxious and visually stunning, the cinematography of Waves invites us to wade into this world, never warning us there’s still a chance we could drown.

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.

Shults ... wrote, directed and co-edited Waves with urgency and a pulsating life force. His camera expresses the internal worlds of its subjects with such intimacy you almost forget it’s even there — until you are hit with yet another glorious, breathtaking shot.

Technically, it wouldn't be wrong to call Waves a "teen drama," but that generic label doesn't begin to convey the emotional scope of this tender, bruising, exuberant film.

Propelled by color, energy, electronic music and a quartet of career-making performances, here is that rare sort of cinematic achievement that innovates at every turn, while teaching audiences how to make intuitive sense of the way it pushes the medium.

“Waves” is a powerful and unforgettable film that showcases , It is a deeply moving exploration of the highs and lows of life, anchored by outstanding performances and stunning visuals. While it may be a difficult watch for some due to its intense emotional content, “Waves” ultimately resonates as a testament to the strength of family and the possibility of forgiveness and renewal.

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 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

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.

intense acting. very atmospheric perspective of a drama. good that the director made a stereotypical movie slightly different, with weird lyrical teenage songs, with hallucinatory light effects. very watchable and dont feel the long 2 hours. breaking the show into 2 parts to focus on the good and evil of teenage relationship, is quite 'revolutionary'in a sense.

.Very difficult to review. Waves is essentially 2 movies in one. The film is about a suburban, middle-class black family and focuses mainly on the teens. The acting is undeniably great. The story is relevant and deals with how teens navigate in today's society, the pressures, and decisions they face, family dysfunction, poor choices, consequences, first love, forgiveness, and healing. The first half follows the older son Tyler. He's outgoing, popular, athletic, and living the high life until some poor choices start making his picture-perfect life unravel. The second half focuses on his younger sister, shy, introverted, Emily, who is having to deal with the fallout of her brother's choices and basically her coming-of-age story. (I preferred the second half.) The emotions are raw and real. The problem is the way it's filmed. First, the movie is way too long. Second, they try to be so "artsy" that it's annoying and pretentious. There are tons of long scenes just driving in cars with music, showing scenery glide by or psychedelic colors, long moments focused on characters just sitting, contemplating, worrying. They show close-ups of people throwing up like 4 times. Although the cinematography and music are good, they overly focus on them (the soundtrack is about 30 songs from oldies to rap) If they cut this movie by 40 minutes, taking out or shortening many of the long extended artsy scenes it would be more engaging and focused and would have added more tension, In My Humble Opinion! august2020

Emotionally moving. Important to see and very well made! The actors captured everything so perfectly. My favourite part was the first half!

I found this movie intoxicatingly beautiful. Each role was amazingly acted and the soundtrack was perfection.

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 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.

A family drama epic that's overwhelmingly fair to all characters. Fleshed out justification is shown for all actions taken, a rare trait in movies featuring predominantly teenage characters. It's not without flaw and hard to explain properly without spoiling, but I will try. Imagine HBO series Euphoria with a little more focus on parents/family and somehow even more neon. I was legitimately surprised several times in the runtime with the directions the story went and that was a fresh surprise in a film that's mostly a teen drama. In truth, regarding genre, this is movie is far more about family, parenting, and healing. Themes of warning of the dangers of parental expectation, the snowball effect that consciously making a bad decision can have, and the power of the effect that kindness towards others can have on yourself are all packed into this one. Sterling K. Brown is riveting as always but the real shining performances come from the two children of the family the film surrounds, played by Taylor Russell and Kelvin Harrison Jr. The equal, but opposite paths these two actors play their characters progressing through are performed so wonderfully. The neon aesthetic of the cinematography in this film also works quite well throughout the runtime.

I love this movie.I really enjoyed the music and **** you have some issues in your family. You will learn that family is the most important in our society and life. Great movie!

First half is incredibly tense and riveting, with some terrific work from the cast. The 2nd half is a pretty jarring change of pace and, while the performances were still strong, the film overall felt like it took a hit.

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 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.

Being ambitious is not a bad thing but you have to be able to respond to your own ambition because otherwise you will stay halfway and going that way the balance will end up being negative. Something like that is what happens to Waves, who handles some very important issues, but deals with them in a terribly basic and melodramatic way that lacks imagination. There are some good performances but in general they don't compensate for how boring the story gets at times and that's beyond the fact that the film tries to cover more than it can contain and naturally that affects too much because it cannot be more agile in its rhythm and as much as the effort is made, the film is merely a job done right but one quite far from the great attention it received from a certain part of the critic. I thought Waves could sneak into my 2019 favorites, but it didn't even came close. Not a misfire by A24 but this wasn't even close to some of their best works. Special mention for the remarkable soundtrack of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross.

Waves was without a doubt my favorite film of 2019. It's story pulls at each of your emotions, having you in a pit of despair one moment, and laughing and smiling along with the characters at the next. Each character plays a vital role. The movie feels very interconnected, as each decision a character makes, greatly impacts somebody else. All of this tied together with a amazing soundtrack and beautiful shots.

Saw this movie. I really disagree with the current reviews. To start it is too long. Moreover the first one and a half hours are telling a depressed story that has little connection to the second half. After the 1st act I looked at my **** felt like 2 hours had gone by . The they present a new story and first part is not integrated ...it just sort of dies. Would not recommend.

The film's bifurcated structure is the only reason I wasn't turned off by it's tragically toxic protagonist (Kelvin Harrison Jr in his second film by Shults) and emotionally destructive first half. From the prolonged opening shot to the over-directed, anxiety-inducing wrestling scenes I thought I was going to vomit. HOWEVER, the gorgeous photography of each family member and their gauzy, Floridian suburbia, especially throughout the calming second half, thoroughly wooed me. The detailed, if not exhausting sound design includes a library of shuffling songs and a rad Reznor/Ross original score. This is A Lot of movie: constantly shifting aspect ratios, deliberately colored sets and costumes, a totally unique narrative structure. All of this is reportedly in Shults' script, including colored fonts and specified aspect ratios. Adjacent to a horror film in it's first half, or "the brother's half" led by Harrison Jr, was unbearable in the way an Ari Aster film will portray excruciating moments of humanity, usually in the wake of devastation. The second half provided much needed relief to the increasingly destructive and anxious first half. The heart of the second half belongs to the sister, Emily (Taylor Russell in one of the best performances of the year), who is sidelined in the first half. Russell provides poignant scenes of healing with her father (played by the astounding Sterling K. Brown) and of romantic teenage vulnerability with Lucas Hedges. Also Renee Elise Goldsberry!!! I've seen criticism ranging from "a white filmmaker shouldn't tell this story" to "Waves hates black people". I know Shults wrote the script with Harrison Jr as his muse, interviewing and consulting African Americans along the way, but if people find the perspective abhorrent, they're totally entitled to that opinion. The family's upper class positioning is explored through Sterling K. Brown's primal protection of his son, a black teenager, by pushing his son to excellence, unaware his tactics were pushing him over the edge. Brown explicates his elemental fatherly protection directly to his son, articulating the burden of having to "work ten times harder" than white people to survive. Other than being irked by any upper class characters, I thought the integration of the character's class into the story had a haunting authenticity, especially after the film's first half. Also all those upper class kids WOULD be listening to Frank on repeat, so, idk I'm white.

LIFF33 2019 #4 I went into this blind, but as soon as it was over, I instantly knew I witnessed something special. This is gonna be hard to talk about since the movie doesn’t follow a conventional narrative. Although I believe that these type of movies will stay with you much longer, as the emotional connection you had will be remembered for years. In other words, I will try my best to keep myself collective through out. ‘Waves’ is an absolute gut punch of a movie. Incredibly unique with its film making and overall presentation. From ‘It Comes At Night’ to ‘Waves’, Trey Edward Shults is a director to look out for. I still haven’t seen ‘Krisha’ yet. The way he crafts stories and the close examination of these characters feels so close to life. It hit me on a emotional level. I love how the aspect ratio changes whenever the mood changes in terms of tone. There’s some impressive and effective use of camera work through out, but the scenes that stood out for me was every time someone drives, the camera will spin clockwise at the front - which reminded me of ‘It Follows’ clockwork-like spin. There was also some free flowing camera work that also reminded me of Terrence Malick movies. The performances and characters were all fantastic. Sterling K. Brown delivers a fantastic performance as a strict and yet flawed father who’s method of parenting is incredibly demanding. He has a son and a daughter, but in the first half we only see him hang around with his son and sculpt him to be the very best, while not realizing his putting the weight of the world on his sons shoulders. We barely see him with his daughter and when we do there’s a sense of regret on his face, as if the painful realization is killing him. Newcomer Taylor Russell truly shines as the heart of the family, which you later find out was from her perspective this entire time. Alexa Demie, Kelin Harrison Jr., and Renée Elise Goldsberry are all terrific, but most effectively was the characters portrayal that was both dynamic and soul crushing. Lucas Hedges is perfectly cast as a sweet young man with one of the kindest smile you could’ve imagined; warm and welcoming. There was a lot of music from Frank Ocean and Radiohead, but it's something that the characters would listen to rather than the directors own playlist. It actually sets the tone throughout. While at times it can get a bit too much music, but that didn’t ruin the overall experience. I don’t know why, but this entire movie reminded me of ‘Moonlight’. The best complement I can give to this movie is how unpredictable it is, because I had no idea where it was going. Putting aside that I went into this knowing nothing, but that wasn’t the reason. It's a long movie, but I was invested the whole time. What took me by surprise is how the movie is structured and how every act unfolds a new chapter. The first act was a rush of energy in terms of pace, but the second act is almost a different movie and feels almost mystical. And every action the characters make will lead a massive impact to other peoples lives... Because when pain and tension rises, expect it to come crashing down and shatter you into million pieces. ‘Waves’ is great, but really underrated.

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.

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 out all the characters.

This is a third film by a young and very talented director Trey Edward Shults. Shultz not only directs his movies but writes the scripts for them as well. I loved his previous two movies "Krysha" and "It Comes At Night". This film is about love, forgiveness, family relations, living through difficult times (not necessarily financially difficult but hard nevertheless). Two protagonists are a brother and a sister, both teenagers close to high school graduation. First part of the movie is mostly about Tyler, the second one is about Emily. The film is sincere, psychologically deep and profound, rich with undertones. Great performances allow characters to be believable and realistic. I would highly recommend this film.