Technically, Waves is a shock to the system. Cinematographer Drew Daniels shoots the film in a radical 1.85:1 aspect ratio that feels almost square, boxing the characters in. At the climax of Tyler’s rage, the image itself seems to fracture. But the real hero is the sound design. You don’t just hear the car doors slam or the glass break—you feel the reverberation in your sternum.
Released in late 2019, Waves is a visceral, stylistically ambitious drama that captures the high-stakes pressure of contemporary youth and the devastating ripples of tragedy within a suburban African American family. Directed by Trey Edward Shults , the film is famously divided into two distinct halves: a frantic, anxiety-inducing descent into chaos and a meditative, quiet journey toward healing. waves 2019