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Waves

  • 20192019
  • RR
  • 2h 15m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,265
122
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Sterling K. Brown and Taylor Russell in Waves (2019)
Two young couples navigate through the emotional minefield of growing up and falling in love.
Play trailer1:08
10 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • Sport

Traces the journey of a suburban family - led by a well-intentioned but domineering father - as they navigate love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.Traces the journey of a suburban family - led by a well-intentioned but domineering father - as they navigate love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.Traces the journey of a suburban family - led by a well-intentioned but domineering father - as they navigate love, forgiveness, and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.

IMDb RATING
7.5/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,265
122
  • Director
    • Trey Edward Shults
  • Writer
    • Trey Edward Shults
  • Stars
    • Kelvin Harrison Jr.
    • Lucas Hedges
    • Taylor Russell
Top credits
  • Director
    • Trey Edward Shults
  • Writer
    • Trey Edward Shults
  • Stars
    • Kelvin Harrison Jr.
    • Lucas Hedges
    • Taylor Russell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 196User reviews
    • 159Critic reviews
    • 80Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 14 wins & 41 nominations

    Videos10

    Final Trailer
    Trailer 1:08
    Final Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:54
    Official Trailer
    Waves
    Trailer 1:59
    Waves
    Waves
    Trailer 1:15
    Waves
    Waves
    Trailer 1:54
    Waves
    'Waves' Trailer With Directors' Commentary
    Clip 1:44
    'Waves' Trailer With Directors' Commentary
    How Kelvin Harrison Jr. Got to Choose His Role in 'Waves'
    Full Episode 7:56
    How Kelvin Harrison Jr. Got to Choose His Role in 'Waves'
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. Gets Schooled by His Watchlist
    Video 1:33
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. Gets Schooled by His Watchlist
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. Plots a Comedy With Sterling K. Brown and Octavia Spencer
    Video 3:09
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. Plots a Comedy With Sterling K. Brown and Octavia Spencer
    How Kelvin Harrison Jr. Took Cues From Odell Beckham Jr. and Pharrell in 'Waves'
    Video 5:02
    How Kelvin Harrison Jr. Took Cues From Odell Beckham Jr. and Pharrell in 'Waves'

    Photos145

    Alexa Demie at an event for Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Alexa Demie in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Alexa Demie in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell in Waves (2019)
    Alexa Demie in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Waves (2019)
    Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sterling K. Brown in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Alexa Demie in Waves (2019)
    Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Waves (2019)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kelvin Harrison Jr.
    Kelvin Harrison Jr.
    • Tyleras Tyler
    Lucas Hedges
    Lucas Hedges
    • Lukeas Luke
    Taylor Russell
    Taylor Russell
    • Emilyas Emily
    Alexa Demie
    Alexa Demie
    • Alexisas Alexis
    Renée Elise Goldsberry
    Renée Elise Goldsberry
    • Catherineas Catherine
    Sterling K. Brown
    Sterling K. Brown
    • Ronaldas Ronald
    Krisha Fairchild
    • English Teacheras English Teacher
    Neal Huff
    Neal Huff
    • Billas Bill
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    • Bobbyas Bobby
    Bill Wise
    Bill Wise
    • Coach Wiseas Coach Wise
    David Garelik
    David Garelik
    • Ryanas Ryan
    Justin R. Chan
    Justin R. Chan
    • Changas Chang
    Joshua Brockington
    Joshua Brockington
    • Stanas Stan
    Albert Link
    • Ministeras Minister
    Vivi Pineda
    Vivi Pineda
    • Elenaas Elena
    Holland Hayes
    Holland Hayes
    • Doctor Steveas Doctor Steve
    Ruben E. A. Brown
    Ruben E. A. Brown
    • Wallyas Wally
    • (as Ruben E.A. Brown)
    David Anthony Payton
    • Security Guardas Security Guard
    • Director
      • Trey Edward Shults
    • Writer
      • Trey Edward Shults
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, and featuring an astonishing ensemble of award-winning actors and breakouts alike, Waves traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family - led by a well-intentional but domineering father - as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss. From acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults, Waves is a heartrending story about the universal capacity for compassion and growth even in the darkest of times.
    • african american
    • teenage pregnancy
    • manatee
    • black american
    • family relationships
    • 167 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
      • Sport
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language throughout, drug and alcohol use, some sexual content and brief violence-all involving teens
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The script Trey Edward Shults sent to Sterling K. Brown was a PDF with embedded music cues, varying font sizes and colors, and notes about aspect ratio changes.
    • Goofs
      When Ronald is with his daughter Emily by the lake fishing, there is a sound of a plane overhead and Emily looks up at the sky through a gap in the tree canopy's and there's a plane in the sky, the problem is it is moving too slowly in relation to its size suggesting it is closer to the ground and therefore should be seen to be moving a little quicker. They obviously used CGI but should have got a better handle on this perspective .
    • Quotes

      Ronald: You have so much love to share with the world and so much life yet to live.

    • Connections
      Featured in CTV News at 11:30 Toronto: Episode dated 10 September 2019 (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      FloriDada
      Written by Panda Bear (as Noah Lennox), Avey Tare (as David Portner), Geologist (as Brian Weitz)

      Performed by Animal Collective

      Published by Domino Publishing Company USA (ASCAP)

      Courtesy of Domino Recording Company

    User reviews196

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Tense, extremely ambitious, not always successful, but a must-see
    31-year-old director Trey Edward Shults didn't decide to go modest with his third feature. Waves is a big, broad movie, about many relationships, many deep feelings, many social issues. It doesn't always succeed, but boy, it was worth the effort!

    Shults focuses on an upscale African-American family in an affluent suburb in Florida. The son's a HS wrestling star, the daughter is quiet and sweet, the dad's successful but tough on his kids because he knows the cost of success particularly for a black family, and the mom, who's in medicine, is an empathic parent. But this seemingly idyllic set-up is shattered in the first minute by the jumping camera and raucous music. The tension is palpable. Something is going to happen throughout this film, but we don't quite know what. (Fear of the unknown was a hallmark of Shults's other notable film, It Comes at Night.)

    So this movie is not for the faint-hearted, but it's got a lot to say. About fathers and sons, parents and children, young love, sharing (or not sharing) secrets, hate, anger, and forgiveness, and the effects that great pain - physical and psychic - have on the soul. Needless to say, with this ambitious an agenda, some things work better than others. Some silly plot errors bugged me, but maybe it just doesn't matter much. Another issue that's been raised: a white director working with a black-centric story; didn't bother me, but it's been talked about. Still, the film is never boring, never static, and never mails it in. Even if 75% of the plot and message works, that was good enough for me. It is NOT easy to watch, but it has a lot to say.

    Fasten your seatbelts!
    helpful•18
    16
    • richard-1967
    • Nov 6, 2019

    FAQ1

    • On the TV screen, the 1.85 format is the largest. the other formats are shown in letterbox.In the theatrical presentation, which format is the largest, 1.85 or 2.35?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 15, 2019 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Хвилі
    • Filming locations
      • Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • BRON Studios
      • JW Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,658,790
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $134,333
      • Nov 17, 2019
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,576,990
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 15 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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