Waves (2019): Movie Review and The Power of A24 Studios
- EL DE
- Nov 25, 2019
- 5 min read
As ambiguous as its trailer, "Waves", is the latest A24 Studio release that dropped this weekend in select theaters. Known originally as an Indie Movie Studio, A24's releases the past five years have earned attention from audiences and critics alike - and all A24 films seem to follow a similar formula (disected below)
A24 Movie Formula:
Coming of Age Story + Up-And-Coming Actors/Actresses + Vibez + Killer Popular, Relevant Soundtrack
And "Waves" is no different, as it captures essential pieces of an A24 release. "Waves" directed by Trey Edward Shults is essentially told in a two-part story - first from the perspective of Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and then from the perspective of his sister Emily Williams (Taylor Russell) as they show us the world of an upper-class suburban family in Miami. You can tell from the trailer, "Waves" is visually stunning and beautiful and the movie is no different. The cinematography takes risks, acting in some scenes as a third party observer, so close to the characters that you feel like you are in the story, a part of their story within each other.
The first half features Tyler, a high school senior, dealing with familial pressure to be perfect as he is constantly at war with his overbearing, but loving father played by Sterling K. Brown. Overcome by the pressures of his family and his girlfriend - Tyler spirals, taking his whole family down with him as he goes. Devastatingly unsettling, Tyler's story is one that is hard to watch, but important to dwell on. Break-out performance from Harrison as he plays Tyler - I found myself appalled and sympathetic for Tyler and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for a redemption that I was hoping to come.
The movie seems to reach its climax right in the middle - as we are shot up in the air and held captive by Tyler's portrayal, we are pulled away into a different direction now following his sister's storyline as the movie ebbs into a new message, a new current, a new wave.
Recovering from the aftermath of Tyler's actions, we find his sister, Emily, adjusting to life as her family, already segmented before the fall, seems to be shattered. Distancing herself from the past, "Waves" shows Emily falling back into a pattern of normalcy, we begin to relax as an audience as the movie begins to settle. The first half of the movie felt like a panic attack, the way the movie was shot, each frame yanking you back and forth at a rapid speed. The second half of the movie is more of a steady flow.
Featuring stand-out performances from the always great, Sterling K. Brown, as the William's family patriarch, Brown has several scenes that have you rooting for him in the already crowded Best Support Actor Oscar Race. "Waves" is as beautiful as it is tragic and you will need at least a week to recover from Shults' new masterpiece.
EL DE Rating: 6.5/10
Moving On......
In honor of A24 essentially sweeping the Oscar Competition the past few years, I wanted to take a look back at Hollywood's favorite used-to-be-but-not-so "Indie" Studio, A24 and my favorite film releases of the past decade. If you haven't seen them - check them out!
5. Bling Ring (2013) - Sofia Coppola
Summary: Following the real life story of the Hollywood Hills Burglaries in the Mid-2000s, Coppola depicts the story of spoiled, trust-fund loaded teenagers that robbed several high profile celebrities including Paris Hilton, Mischa Barton and other high-profile celebrities - damages amounted to over $3M....yiiiikes. The movie is great and loaded with lots of "oh my god, we're people really that stupid?" questions that you love to see.
Cast: Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, and Taissa Farmiga
4. The Spectacular Now (2013) - James Ponsoldt
Summary: A classic new coming-of-age story that depicts a shy awkward senior Amy (Shailene Woodley) and a popular, but damaged partier Sutter (Miles Teller) who takes Amy under his wing to show her that her dreams matter and shows her how to go after the things that you want in life. Breaking down each other's walls, stand-out performances from Woodley and Teller who have gone on to star in many movies opposite each other - its a tear-jerker and tugs at your heartstrings. I mean honestly - does any studio do a coming-of-age story better than A24? Doubtful. It's amazing.
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller. Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
3. Room (2015) - Lenny Abrahamson
Summary: Based on the book by the same name, Room follows Joy and her son Jack who are attempting to escape Room, where they have been held for the past five years. Taken at the age of 15 by a stranger and held captive, Joy (Brie Larson) explains to her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) that Room is the entire world. A chance encounter lets them both escape as they attempt to assimilate back into society. Stunning and beautiful performance from Brie Larson, she goes on to win Best Actress at the 2016 Academy Awards.
Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen and William Macy
2. Moonlight (2016) - Barry Jenkins
Summary: Sweeping the 2017 Oscars (sorry La La Land, Moonlight was better), Moonlight is a wonderfully crafted character story of Chiron as he comes of age and grows into adulthood. Featuring three different Chiron's to embody each stage of his life, Moonlight follows his path to adulthood while he struggles with his identity and sexuality and how his past has molded him to the person he is today. Stand-out performances from Mahershala Ali who took home an Academy Award in 2017 and Moonlight won (a controversial) Best Picture....remember this?
Cast: Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, and Naomi Harris
1. Lady Bird (2017) - Greta Gerwig
Summary: I mean, it should be apparent that this is one of my top-ten favorite movies.... ever. It checks every box on my list that I want out of a film. Following Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a student at an All-Girls Catholic School in 2002 that wants nothing more than to leave her "boring" town of Sacramento behind and strives for notoriety in any and every way she can find. Based on a semi-autobiographical story of Gerwig's own life growing up, Lady Bird's best moments are with her mom, Laurie Metcalf as they dwell on the structures of a mother and daughter relationship as Lay Bird prepares to leave. Featuring the first of many pairings between Ronan and Chalamet, Lady Bird is sweet and wholesome and great.
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein and Laurie Metcalf.
I mean Timothée Chalamet pretty much sums up my Lady Bird movie review....
And that's the sitch.
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