Waves

18-year-old Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) seems to have the world at his feet. He is popular at school, is part of a successful wrestling team, and gets along well with his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie). Only at home, things are not going well, where his stepmother Catherine (Renée Elise Goldsberry) lovingly takes care of him, but his father Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) announces the tariff with iron severity and repeatedly forces his son to perform at his best. However, these are no longer possible after Tyler suffered a serious shoulder injury.

The events surrounding the family that follow leave their mark on Tyler’s younger sister Emily (Taylor Russell). She is bullied on social media, so she prefers to eat her lunch alone, away from her classmates. Once, when she is sitting alone on a bench, she is approached by young Luke (Lucas Hedges), who is interested in her. This means that two soul mates meet because the motto “peace, joy, pancakes” does not prevail in his family either.

The Waves family story takes viewers on a roller coaster ride for 135 minutes. Trey Edward Shults’ third work is poignant, sad, and really, really touching. A few clichés are used, but thanks to the virtuoso staging – among other things, the aspect ratio of the picture changes depending on the emotional state of the protagonists – this is hardly noticeable. A rather small film in terms of budget, but an all the bigger and unforgettable film in terms of the feelings it arouses.

• Waves