By Lazarae Delvalle ’26
“Waves” is one of those movies that feels really emotional without trying too hard to be dramatic. What struck me most was how realistic everything felt, especially the way the movie shows how one bad decision can solely lead to everything falling apart. The movie doesn’t just focus on huge shocking moments, it focuses on emotion, pressure, relationships, and how people deal with guilt and grief. Even though the story gets really heavy, it still feels believable the whole time.
The first half of the movie mostly follows Tyler, who honestly seems like he has a perfect life. He’s popular, successful at wrestling, has a girlfriend he really cares about, and comes from a family that looks stable on the outside. But as the movie goes on, you could tell he’s constantly under pressure, especially from his dad. One scene that surprised me was when Tyler hurts his shoulder. Instead of settling down, he keeps taking painkillers so he can continue wrestling because he feels like he has to stay successful, no matter what. That part felt important because it showed how Tyler didn’t really know how to deal with failure or disappointment in the healthy way
His relationship with Alexis, his girlfriend, is another part of the movie that changes a lot throughout the story. At first, their scenes together feel warm and happy, especially during the driving scenes where they’re listening to music and just acting like a normal couple. But everything changes after Alexis tells Tyler she’s pregnant. The argument between them afterwards is probably one of the hardest scenes to watch because you can see Tyler completely losing control emotionally. The movie doesn’t try to make him look completely evil or completely innocent, it just shows how anger, fear, and pressure can push someone into making terrible choices in a moment.
The car scene after the party where Tyler had made an irrational mistake is probably the craziest part of the movie for me. Tyler is driving recklessly, while upset, and the flashing lights, loud music, and camera movement makes the whole scene feel chaotic and stressful. When the crash happened, it felt sudden, but also like everything before it was leading up to the moment. After that scene, the entire mood of the movie changes.
Something I really like about “Waves” is how the second half focuses more on Emily instead of Tyler, his sister. At first it almost feels strange because the movie spent so much time building Tyler’s story, but I think it works because it shows how tragedy affects the entire family, not just one person. Emily’s storyline feels quieter and calmer, especially when she starts spending time with Luke. Their relationship feels very different from Tyler and Alexis’s relationship because it’s based more on understanding and healing instead of pressure and intensity.
The movie also uses music really well. The soundtrack changes depending on the emotions in each scene, and sometimes the camera gets extremely close to the characters, which makes everything feel more personal and uncomfortable. There are scenes where the camera moves quickly and the colors are bright and overwhelming, especially during Tyler‘s part of the story, while Emily‘s scenes later I feel softer and calmer. That difference really makes some emotional shifts in the movie, even stronger.
Overall, “Waves” felt less like a typical drama movie and more like watching real people deal with mistakes, grief, and forgiveness. It’s definitely emotional and difficult to watch at times, but that’s what makes it feel honest. The movie shows how quickly life can change and how complicated people in relationships really are
The Raider Press 