World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
‘In Waves’ movie review: an atmospheric, impressionistic coming-of-age romance of hope and tragedy
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
The film is based on a graphic memoir by AJ Dungo, which tells the story through the memories of its author as a teenager. AJ falls in love with Kristen, a keen surfer, while they are growing up together.
Kristen develops a serious illness and loses a leg, changing her relationship with surfing. The story follows how she and AJ face that change, and how their experiences shape their young relationship.
Because the story is told from AJ’s point of view, readers see Kristen largely through his memories. Surfing provides a way for the characters to seek freedom and cope with difficult events.