A Symbol of Hope for All Ages

Review of the Movie “Waves”

Photo by Aleksandr Ledogorov on Unsplash

“Waves,” the 2019 film produced by A24, is just now gaining fame because of its traction on TikTok this past month. Recently, the platform was flooded with thousands of videos of influencers reviewing the movie and recommending it to others as a must watch movie.

The film follows the lives of high school wrestler Tyler Williams, played by Kelvin Harrison Jr, and his younger sister Emily Williams, played by Taylor Russell, through the challenges of high school that seem miniscule in comparison to what they will battle later in the movie. Instead of following both characters at the same time, “Waves” is divided into two parts, the first being about Tyler and his unique situation, and the second about Emily, and how she and her family recover after the tragedy they face. The film explores many different topics including perseverance, depression, compassion, love and recovery. While “Waves” highlights the intensity of the hardships the Williams’ family goes through, the directors also make it a priority to emphasize the importance of having hope during a tragedy. The film was amazing in every aspect especially the cast’s acting, and the plot. 

Netflix describes the plot of “Waves” as “the epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the wake of a tragic loss,” but it is so much more than that. In Tyler’s half of the story, he faces constant obstacles from injuries to relationship problems and legal troubles. In Emily’s half, the film follows her journey through grief and healing, as well as meeting new people who help her do so. The film starts like any other coming of age movie where the main character faces trials and tribulations that change the course of their life. But after Tyler’s initial bout of bad luck, the plot is completely unexpected with several twists and turns that leave the audience in shock. While both Tyler and Emily battle different issues, they both experience several pieces of dream crushing news and problems that force kids to grow up too fast. The plot is very emotional and moving which prepares viewers to interpret the several messages that the film delivers. 

The message of “Waves” is interesting solely because it’s up to interpretation for each person watching. Some see it as the message the pastor in the movie gave, that we all need love, others see it as the universal capacity for compassion and growth and many see it as emphasizing that there is always hope after tragedy. Emily is a prime example of the message that everyone needs love. Emily finds love and someone who helps her heal while showing her that there is more to life than what happened to her. The film also explores the theme of compassion, which is given to many different characters despite things they have done. Lastly, the Williams family’s efforts at rebuilding their life are proof that there is always hope after tragedy. 

While the plot and the message of the movie are flawless, the acting in “Waves” must be exceptional for these elements to be impactful, and it was. Several scenes can attest to this, like Tyler’s mental breakdown scene and the scene between Emily and her father Ronald, played by Sterling K. Brown, expressing their emotions. The cast does an amazing job at being in touch with their emotions and being able to exceed the expectations for any scene. Every character is able to show a wide range of emotions and their emotions feel raw and authentic. As well as the acting, the chemistry between the cast members whose characters have relationships is phenomenal. 

“Waves” is a powerful display of the hardships the Williams family faced, and the strength and perseverance it took to overcome them. The film is doing better than ever since its rise to fame on TikTok and continues to get praise from several different social media platforms. The cast and directors did an amazing job at creating a beautifully intricate plot, conveying several different impactful messages and putting on a moving performance. The film is a must watch for teenagers and adults who are looking for an emotional movie that will leave them thinking for days after. 

<Star Rating>

Plot: ★★★★★

Message: ★★★★★

Acting: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★