When A24 released Waves in 2019, it undeservedly fell under the radar. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, Waves follows the life of the Williams family, as they navigate through an awful tragedy. Renowned for its incredible cinematography, and use of colour, Waves is one of the most visually stunning films I have seen in the last decade.
The motif of ‘waves’ and water beautifully reflects the characters’ dreams and desires, highlighting what they cannot achieve. We follow Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie) as their relationship faces immense pressure from external obstacles. They spend key moments at the seafront, watching the waves. The poignant blue water and its movement starkly contrast their situation: Tyler is pushed to limits by his father, and the couple confronts the reality of potentially starting a family as teenagers. The water moves without restraint, something the characters envy. Tyler and Alexis submerge themselves, play, and laugh, finding a moment of freedom in the waves.
The motif of ‘waves’ and water beautifully reflects the characters’ dreams and desires, highlighting what they cannot achieve.
This motif reappears when Tyler’s father, Ronald, (Sterling K. Brown) and sister, Emily, (Taylor Russell) discuss their emotions while watching a body of water. In this turbulent moment, Emily confronts her feelings of hatred for her brother, viewing him as a monster. The stagnant lake symbolizes the family’s feeling of being stuck after Tyler’s actions. However, with her father by her side, Emily finally opens up about her true feelings. Seen against the still water, this moment may allow her to begin moving on and start to ebb and flow like a wave in the ocean.
The use of colour in this film is powerful. In intimate scenes between Tyler and Alexis, blue overtones appear when they sit by the water and in the garage, highlighting the sadness and despair in their relationship. Leading up to her death, Alexis wears a striking red dress, contrasting the cold blue tinge of the cinematography—a moment that culminates in her murder. Tyler, with blood on his hands, panics and runs. Caught, he sits in the back of the cab, the blue and red lights of the police car reflecting on him. These colours echo the blue moments between Tyler and Alexis, while red references the fiery passion of his father. During their training, Ronald encourages Tyler to push himself, with scenes tinted orange and red, illustrating the fire igniting within him. While Alexis connects Tyler to water, the fire inside him is too powerful to control.
Waves’ use of cinematography and colour tells a story in itself. The constant symbol of water shows that the characters’ lives follow the ebbs and flows of the waves. Water is also a symbol of purity, with Alexis in the water with him, Tyler is free to be who he wants to be, and he is also purified of his flaws. For Emily, the water is a place for honesty and reflection, where she can confront her past to break free from the stagnant, paralysing fear that traps her. This film is a perfect example of why A24 make films like no one else. It is striking, stunning and will rip your heart out.
Water is also a symbol of purity, with Alexis in the water with him, Tyler is free to be who he wants to be, and he is also purified of his flaws.
