#drew daniels

Fighting with My Family

In the opening scene of Waves, the camera pirouettes around two lovers as they belt out a car sing-along, all the while hinting at the possibility of an incoming collision. From Trey Edward Shults, writer-director of tense thriller It Comes At Night, it’s a sequence that perfectly captures the sensibilities of his compelling new drama, which feels alive with the giddy excitement of youth, but looms with the threat of imminent disaster.

Shot with an intimate camera style that effortlessly places us in the headspace of its protagonist, we follow Tyler (a brilliant Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an American teenager who seemingly has it all: high-school popularity, a promising gift for competitive wrestling, and a dreamy girlfriend (Mid-90s’ Alexa Demie). Yet, this lifestyle is accompanied by great pressure on the part of his well-meaning but overbearing father (Sterling K. Brown), whose enormous expectations threaten to push Tyler to breaking point.

You never quite know where this is heading, but this probably makes it more difficult to tear your eyes away. The best thing you can say about Waves is that it feels reminiscent of Moonlight, offering a sensual and poetic look at the social pressures and expectations attributed to black males, who have to work harder to match the achievements of their white peers.

If this doesn’t quite reach those heights, it still convincingly carves out a world of its own. Shults’ vision of adolescence is one that will be entirely recognizable to teenagers today (right up to its hip hop soundtrack), whether it’s taking a moment to ‘flex for the gram’ or angrily reciting rap lyrics when things don’t go your way. Told with enough authenticity to suggest a basis on real-life experiences, it’s also strengthened by a charismatic performance from newcomer Harrison Jr., whose struggles to balance different responsibilities feel instantly empathetic. Ably communicating his frustrations and feelings of powerlessness, Tyler’s character arc is perfectly played, building up the tension before a devastating crescendo.

Where the film falls short is in balancing Tyler’s story with that of his sister, Emily (Taylor Russell). While it makes sense to the story and its themes of forgiveness and restoring broken bonds, it too often feels like a dissatisfying detour, never matching the energy of everything that goes before it. Still, even this segment has interesting material, like a warm romance with the likeable Lucas Hedges, and reveals a more human side to Tyler’s father, brilliantly played by Brown. It helps that everything is masterfully shot by cinematographer Drew Daniels (also responsible for the trippy visuals of Euphoria), whose beautiful images of the Florida Sea are brimming with positivity and hope.

Though slightly let down by an overlong final act, this is an impactful, thoughtful film about the healing power of forgiveness, with arresting visuals and immersive direction that immediately connects you to its world.

★★★★