Waves stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler Williams, a popular high school senior with a promising athletic career, though is routinely pushed by his father Ronald, played by Sterling K. Brown, to do better. However, his athletic career is put in jeopardy when he’s told he has an injury that can permanently end his career. Meanwhile, he discovers his girlfriend Alexis, played by Alexa Demie, is pregnant, adding to further stress. As Tyler struggles with multiple problems in his life, his issues lead to events that affect his entire family.
What makes this film so engaging to watch is just how well so many of its characters are written. This is focused on a family who struggles to keep things together, and there are times where the circumstances presented to them may cause them to exhibit traits of theirs that they’re not proud of. Yet, while there are plenty of times where viewers may not necessarily condone certain actions that transpire, knowing what led to said events and that it’s not exclusively that person’s fault allow them to be heavily invested in what happens to them next. The layered complexity of so many individuals is what makes this such a fascinating experience.
The importance of family and how relationships can be affected are one of the driving forces behind this film’s story. And the strain of society and other outside factors affecting said relationships is heavily explored here. Take Ronald, for example. When he’s introduced, he’s shown to be domineering and overly-demanding of his kids, and he comes off seemingly unlikable at first. However, there’s a great moment fairly early on where he explains why he is the way he is, and how he had to work harder than so many of those around him to get to where he needs to be is by far one of the most beautiful moments in this entire film, as it will resonate so well with many audience members.
This is one of a few instances that highlights just how powerful Sterling K. Brown’s acting skills are. There are some long stretches where he’s not seen for quite some time, which is a shame, because when he does reappear, he makes a hell of an impact. The This is Us star is already well accustomed to pulling at audience’s heartstrings., and here he gets several moments that lean so heavily into the importance of family dynamic, and the relationship of a father and his children, that it will bring audiences on the verge of tears.
Though he’s never manipulative, which is the same for the rest of this movie. This is a movie that screams positivity, and the importance of trying to overcome life’s obstacles, which is what makes these characters so enjoyable to watch, and is important when detailing their struggles. Their focus on trying to get through their issues makes it all the more heartbreaking when something doesn’t go their way. Sometimes the movie may lean into this aspect a bit too heavily in certain instances, mainly in the soundtrack. There are a few moments where the film will utilize schmaltzy piano tunes, which gives the film an overly sentimental feel, but these moments only come few and far in between.
The soundtrack is at its best when it leans heavily into its use of hip-hop and R&B songs, which are used expertly to highlight the overall mood. The film has a much darker, grittier feel in its first half, and the film uses more aggressive, brasher tracks to really bring that feel out, and give it a real sense of anxiety. During the second half, the film eases up some of that tension and tries to take an approach of trying to move forward in the wake of tragedy, and it utilizes more light-hearted, sometimes gospel-influenced tunes that really lift both the characters’ and audience’s spirits up.
While the film’s story is great overall, the divide in story structure is one of its more jarring elements. In an effort to show how one character’s actions can affect others, the story does shift in perspective halfway through, going from Tyler’s perspective to his sister Emily, played by Taylor Russell. And while Russell does a great job, and her character is wonderful to watch, especially thanks to such a great performance, the shift does take a bit getting used to. This is mainly due to the fact that Emily barely plays a role during the first half of the film, so it loses some slight momentum as it has to take its time and build up the audience’s attachment to her. That and the whole tonal shift is where the film stumbles a bit, but it finds its footing quite nicely.
Waves is an overall powerful film that really invests heavily in its characters, and really takes the time to make sure audiences can relate to them and root for them. The film is filled with incredible performances, and a story that will at times shock audiences, and other times pull on their heartstrings. It does have a bit of an off-putting story structure that will cause some a bit of time to adjust to, but beyond that, this is an extremely well-crafted film with rich complexity, and is one of the best viewing experiences of the year so far. This is a film that should most certainly not be missed.
Recommendation: Watch It
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