# ‘In Waves’ movie review: an atmospheric, impressionistic coming-of-age romance of hope and tragedy

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-waves-movie-review-an-atmospheric-impressionistic-coming-of-age-romance-of-hope-and-tragedy/
- Published: 2026-11-03T05:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T05:08:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/phuong-mai-nguyen-in-waves-movie-review/
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- AJ’s romance with Kristen is shaped by her serious illness.
- Watercolour animation gives the familiar story its strongest qualities.
- Kristen’s perspective is limited by AJ’s recollections.

## Summary

Netflix’s animated adaptation of AJ Dungo’s graphic memoir follows teenager AJ as he falls in love with Kristen, a keen surfer, and faces the impact of her serious illness. The review says the film’s familiar coming-of-age and romance plot makes its emotional turns predictable, but its vivid animation captures the confusion and wistfulness of adolescence.

Told through AJ’s recollections, the story shows Kristen losing a leg and struggling to surf with a prosthetic. The review praises director Phuong Mai Nguyen’s watercolour visuals and the film’s use of surfing as escapism, while noting that Kristen remains less fully developed because the story is told only from AJ’s perspective.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.