Waves | Film Review

 

This is a film that I should have watched ages ago. But things kept getting in the way, and I always found something else to be doing. But I finally got around to watching this last week, so here's my review!

Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is wrestler who ends up injuring himself due to the demands of his overbearing father (Sterling K. Brown). As stress mounts between Tyler and his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie), a tragedy occurs that changes Tyler and his family forever.

I really liked this film. To be honest, it wasn't what I thought it would be at all, but in a way that made it better, because I had no idea what to expect.

The film does a really good job of showing both the good and bad dynamics within this family. As well as Tyler and his father, Ronald, the other members of the family are his mother, Catherine (Renee Elise Goldsberry), and his sister Emily (Taylor Russell). No one is inherently good or bad, and their relationships are informed by a variety of different factors. Even if a character is on the extreme end of a spectrum, I really believed that these people were a family.

The subject of the film, and the relationship between Tyler and Ronald really reminded me of the films Foxcatcher and Whiplash - They are all about the pressure of ambition, and how this is exacerbated by an overbearing leadership figure, and I find that dynamic really interesting in all three of these films.

Tyler is such an interesting character, mainly because he spends so much time not knowing where he stands in his own life, so it's hard for an audience to know exactly where we stand with him.

The film is erratic, particularly the first half. Noises are too loud, lights are too bright, the camera moves too quickly, and I felt like this was a perfect way of showing what was happening inside Tyler's mind. We get a small taste of what it's like to be him.

When the second half of the film hits, this movie starts to feel like two films in one. The tone changes expertly, particularly with the introduction of Luke (Lucas Hedges). I found the relationship that formed really endearing and sweet, and it almost acted like an antidote to the erratic nature of the first half.

The acting in the film is phenomenal. Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Sterling K. Brown were amazing as father and son, and Lucas Hedges is one of my favourite actors in the world. However, for me the standout performance came from Taylor Russell, who played Emily. She was perfect at being able to shrink into the background, but once she was front and centre, she was amazing.

This is a harrowing film, and it is harrowing for quite a long time. You have to be prepared, and in the mood, to watch it.

And while I loved the overall story, I did feel that the second half isn't as gripping as the first half - it definitely lost me a few times.

Overall, I thought this was a really good film. There were parts that I loved, parts that I had to watch through my fingers, and parts that broke me. Definitely one to watch!

7.5/10