Kelvin Harrison Jr.; left, and Sterling K. Brown in “Waves.” (A24)
‘Waves’: An explosive and hypnotic domestic ride
Written and directed by: Trey Edward Shults
Starring: Sterling K. Brown, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, and Lucas Hedges
“Waves” – Writer/director Trey Edward Shults’ vibrant and explosive film is about families. Fathers and sons. Mothers and daughters. Parents and children.
Actually, it’s about one family, and no matter how much love and guidance that Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) and Catharine Williams (Renee Elise Goldsberry) openly bequeath to their kids Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Emily (Taylor Russell), open lines of communication between generations are sometimes impossible to find, even when a father, stepmother, son, and daughter live under one roof, frequently within whispering distances.
First definition of a wave: Move to and fro with a swaying or undulating motion while remaining fixed to a point.
Ronald and Catharine Williams created a world of support for Tyler and Emily in the Miami suburbs. They work hard and expect a lot from their teenage children, although the focus these days is squarely on Tyler. Tyler is the older sibling, and Ronald seems to relish pushing him to excel, especially on the high school wrestling mat. He even trains with his son, and they frequently lift weights without their shirts and flex in front of the mirror, which pushes their collective macho-quotient to 11. Despite having a tight, ever-present rein on Tyler, Ronald has no idea that his son is stressed about two massive issues.
Second definition of a wave: a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on shore.
Tyler and his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie) enjoy a carefree, loving relationship, and Shults introduces the audience to the happy couple with dazzling camerawork, as the two zip along the highway. His camera somehow swivels and spins in tight quarters, and modern, pulsating beats are in sync with the kids’ laughter and smiles, as their heads and limbs sometimes extend outside the open windows. With passion in the hearts and nothing but time on their hands, Tyler and Alexis perfectly capture the joy of youth in just a minute or two of screen time.
Shults presents similar movements at the kids’ high school, as he dives and darts in the weight and wrestling rooms, but also outside on green football fields where cheerleaders practice. Libraries and books aren’t particularly featured, but we get a first row seat into this aforementioned celebratory fervor. School, however, is also noticeably separate from the rigidity of Tyler’s and Emily’s home life, so a clear divide between parents and kids exists.
Third definition of a wave: a sudden occurrence of, or increase in, a specified phenomenon, feeling or emotion.
Unfortunately, the exuberance of youth can spill into immaturity and irrationality. This fragile combination can quickly manufacture unexpected consequences, and not even the strongest parental foundations can prepare for them.
It’s difficult to prepare for a couple key moments in “Waves”. It’s a film that tests our limits. It throws the audience into a meat grinder, but then opens up hypnotic spaces to help us cope. It feels organic. Then again, Shults’ direction is certain and unmistakable, and we are powerless to course correct. Thankfully, we can regain autonomy after the movie, and the best course of action is to search for those evasive lines of communication in our own lives. In the meantime, waves are always crashing against the shore.
(3.5/4 stars)
Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.
