Waves

Trey Edward Shults’ third feature, Waves follows teenage athlete Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) as he attempts to balance his wrestling endeavors with a progressively spiraling personal life (including a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend and his ongoing efforts at pleasing his demanding father). Filmmaker Shults kicks Waves off with a propulsive, electrifying opening stretch that effectively establishes the various characters and their Florida-based environs, with the movie, past that point, segueing into a comparatively subdued midsection devoted to Tyler’s day-to-day exploits – with the deliberate, character-study-like vibe paving the way for an always-entertaining yet undeniable erratic atmosphere. (There are, having said that, a number of impressively engrossing moments and interludes, including Tyler’s vicious fight with his girlfriend in his car.) The degree to which Shults is able to get into the protagonist’s head ensures that certain mid-movie developments pack an unexpectedly potent punch, while the picture’s extreme shift in focus in its third act, which requires some patience from the viewer, admittedly, eventually does lead into an impressively emotional and downright shattering climax. The end result is an ambitious and thoroughly rewarding piece of work that secures Shults’ place as one of the most exciting directors of his generation, and it should certainly be interesting to see where he takes his career from here.

***1/2 out of ****