Life comes in waves. Sometimes they crash to the shore, sometimes they leave a ripple effect, but in most cases the ebb and flow of a wave is much like that of a complicated life.
Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr) is a high school senior sucked into a stress vortex of homework, exams, discipline, dating, discipline, training, discipline, church; pressures collectively expected and brought on by his well-intended and domineering father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown).
But that’s because raising a son to have more than Ronald had as a child is tough work. Add the disadvantage in raising a black boy and the pressure is on in Southern Florida where this family resides. Ronald takes pride in his community and he expects his son, Tyler, to do the same. They can’t afford the luxury of being average.
Popping the occasional ‘oxy’ helps Tyler see straight, think straight and just plain relax. Not to mention softens the pain is his shoulder that requires surgery. But Tyler can’t let his father down. He’s to be a wrestling champion in a home that might better champion communication.
As the story unfolds, we’ve all known high school drama. Either from watching on the sidelines, or being on the inside: The prom queen, the drama queen, the heartthrob, the sports jock, the geek, or the Valedictorian. When Tyler’s very audible girlfriend puts the pressure on him, something goes terribly wrong.
It is then that the film becomes the story of Emily (Taylor Russell) Tyler’s sister, as she seeks solace and understanding as support through her boyfriend, Luke (Lucas Hedges.) Hedges has made a recent career in films with family conflict/ addiction like last year’s Ben is Back starring opposite Julia Roberts. But this is not a film about addiction, though it’s all part of the unfolding story.
In the end, Waves is gripping and mesmerizing, tracing the sands of emotional journeys with mainly forgiveness in the aftermath of loss. From acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults, the lesson to all parents might be to let the child ride the wave of what they want to be. Don’t mold them into what you weren’t. Don’t let them live your un-lived life. Eventually it’s up to the child crash on the shoreline or not. Nevertheless, ‘Trickle Effect’ may have been a better title. 3 tiaras