In Waves Review (2026 Toronto Film Festival)

Animation is a vehicle for storytelling in much the same way comics are. Both rely on the same fundamental element: drawings. These drawings bring characters and worlds to life; without them, there would be no storytelling or art. This is true of AJ Beckles’ comic In Waves, now adapted into an animated film. The comic blends a nonfiction recounting of surfing’s history with a graphic memoir of his own life. Phuong Mai Nguyen’s directorial debut attempts to replicate that approach but strangely ends up feeling safe.

We follow AJ (Will Sharpe), a skater and aspiring artist hoping to apply to art school. After his best friend Francisco drags him to a party, he bumps into Kristen (Stephanie Hsu), a surfer he immediately falls for. He eventually builds up the courage to message her, and the two quickly fall in love, with AJ soon learning how to surf. However, Kristen’s life takes a sudden turn when she is forced to confront an unexpected illness.

Throughout the film, we cut to black‑and‑white 2D sequences depicting the history of surfing. Tracing its roots back to Hawaii, these moments look great and are, at times, more visually engaging than the 3D animation used for AJ’s story. I do believe it was a stylistic choice to render the character models with less detail and flair than the background art, which is genuinely beautiful. However, this results in the characters appearing overly glossy and smooth and a visual distraction.

I feel this wouldn’t be a huge negative if the story weren’t so bizarrely cliché. While life itself can be cliché, and in Beckles’s case, a harrowing truth. It still causes the emotional arc of the film to feel obvious, leaving you waiting for the inevitable to happen. I wish the film engaged more thoughtfully with that inevitability, especially since it occasionally flashes forward to tease a darker future. Those moments set up an expectation, so when we return to AJ and Kristen’s younger years, you’re just waiting for the ball to drop.

Despite that, the film’s core cast is genuinely likeable and features moments that are truly uplifting. AJ and Francisco’s friendship feels authentic, highlighting the positive impact of meaningful friendships. This complements the development of AJ and Kristen’s relationship, which includes a text exchange that is nothing short of adorable, as Kristen slowly admits she misses AJ and looks for any excuse to see him.

Probably the film’s strongest aspect is the English voice cast. Hsu is, as always, a delight, bringing the determined and strong‑willed Kristine to life as no one else could. Sharpe is excellent as AJ, serving as the film’s grounded centre through which we experience most of the story. He does a wonderful job of breathing life into the film and allowing us to enter this world in a believable, authentic way.

In Waves is not a bad film, far from it. However, it’s one that, after seeing, I will likely never think about again. The animation is fine, and the story, despite being based on reality, is one we’ve seen before. There is a great film in here, but at present it feels like a safe one, designed to tug at the audience’s heartstrings. I just wish it pulled harder.

★★★

Had its International Premiere at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival, 11th December 2026 (Streaming) / Will Sharpe, Stephanie Hsu / Dir: Phuong Mai Nguyen / Netflix

About the Author

Robert Ewing

Author

Rob is a freelance film critic and writer who specialises in Anime and Asian cinema. I have adored film since a young age, having watched films that were far too old for me, such as RoboCop, Die Hard, and Hot Tub Time Machine, to discovering the heights of foreign cinema through films like Headhunters and Battle Royale. Growing up with such a diverse catalogue of films that I cherished sparked my desire to discuss them. This passion eventually led me to become a reviewer. Dissecting films, speaking to filmmakers I admire, and showcasing the best of Asian and anime cinema is how I live my best and truest life.

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