The movie “Waves”, stars Alexa Demie (Alexis Lopez) , Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Tyler Williams), Taylor Russell (Emily), Lucas Hedges (Luke), Sterling K. Brown (Ronald Williams), and Renee Elise Goldsberry (Catherine Williams). 

This production tells an emotional story about an African American suburban family who tries to find their way through love, forgiveness, and find  themselves again after unexpected tragedy, loss, and situations with more pressure than they can handle.

The movie starts off with a nostalgic breezy summer feel, and closes into the back to school season. As Tyler returns to high school for senior year, he is rapidly faced with the pressure to be a  “perfect” athlete and win all his wrestling matches. In the beginning of the movie, Tyler is faced with some harsh news that will impact the rest of his athletic career and chances of scholarships in the future. While trying to find around his situation, Tyler stumbles and struggles to make the good decisions when he is faced with the challenges in his romantic relationship with his Girlfriend, Alexis. As Tyler navigates himself into adulthood, he is also met with problems of the real world. His bad choices soon lead to consequences that will forever affect his life, his family’s life, and the lives of his girlfriend’s family.

In my opinion, many students can find a way to relate to this movie and find connections to this production in their own lives. As students, and student athletes, we are always faced with pressure to perform well whether it is in academics or sports. I believe that “Waves” gives a great example of how that pressure can lead us to do things we will regret. Even though this movie was released in 2019, it’s beautiful cinematography, amazing soundtrack, and overall message makes this movie worth watching even years later.