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Waves

Play trailer Poster for Waves R 2019 2h 15m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 258 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 250+ Verified Ratings
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.
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Waves

Waves

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Critics Consensus

An up-close look at one family's emotional ups and downs, Waves captures complicated dynamics with tenderness and grace.

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Critics Reviews

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David Stratton The Australian 07/16/2020
All the performances are excellent and perfectly pitched between reality and melodrama. And visually the film follows the same pattern: very creatively photographed by Drew Daniels, it also succeeds in being both "real" and heightened... Go to Full Review Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald 07/13/2020
3.5/5
Shults is saying nothing new here. Nor does he exploit or trivialise the African-American experience. It's a powerful and plausible tale but it's told with such a bombardment of sound and image that he leaves you no opportunity to think for yourself. Go to Full Review Roxana Hadadi Pajiba 03/25/2020
The emotional through line of Waves and its exploration of forgiveness give shape to a movie that often feels like a mixtape. Go to Full Review Lexi Amoriello Movie Recs by Lex Jul 10
Waves beautifully depicts the ups and downs of life. It features an awe-inspiring story, dazzling cinematography, a thrilling score, a phenomenal soundtrack, and powerful performances. It's a triumph for everyone involved. Go to Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse 07/12/2025
Waves is by far a showcase for Shults’ impressive talents as a writer-director, but it’s a film that lives and dies by its stellar ensemble cast. Go to Full Review Calum Cooper Source (Scotland) 07/14/2024
4/5
Shults has crafted a gorgeously visual, and uniquely helmed movie that celebrates the best of romantic connection, and is unafraid to condemn the entitlement and disrespect that plagues so many relationships, whether platonic or romantic. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matt 01/19/2020 Spectacular movie. Fascinating coming of age movie. Great acting. Great story See more Jan O 01/14/2020 Very entertaining. I liked it more than I thought I would. See more SD 01/06/2020 Glorious filmmaking. See more MSR 01/05/2020 Nothing short of the emotional journey promised. As audibly amazing as it is visually stunning. The rhythm of the film moves and moves you through the story so well. Once the films ends, you feel like you've been involved in the Williams's lives so intimately. The most personal movie for me out of 2019. A must-see for the decade. See more Jayna 12/25/2019 Felt like two separate movies. See more Jessica B 12/21/2019 Great movie - perfect amount of suspense/action/love- but come on with the ending - bummed See more Read all reviews
Waves

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Cast & Crew

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Trey Edward Shults

Director

Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Tyler

Taylor Russell

Emily

Sterling K. Brown

Ronald

Lucas Hedges

Luke

Alexa Demie

Alexis

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Waves

Waves (2019) Waves (2019) Waves (2019) Waves (2019) Waves (2019) Waves (2019) Waves (2019) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Trey Edward Shults
Producer
Jim Wilson, Kevin Turen, Trey Edward Shults
Screenwriter
Trey Edward Shults
Distributor
A24
Production Co
BRON Studios, JW Films
Rating
R (Drug and Alcohol Use|Brief Violence|Language Throughout|Some Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 15, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 15, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.7M
Runtime
2h 15m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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