The Wave (4/5) – Movie Review

THE WAVE is a Sci-Fi Comedy but that’s selling it short. It’s so much more than that. This movie is crazy, weird and simply awesome with Justin Long as the perfect lead. It won’t be for everyone, but it should easily find fans. Read more in our full The Wave review here!

The Wave is a Sci-Fi Comedy starring Justin Long. Honestly, that’s all I need to know to be onboard since Justin Long tends to be in dark comedy genre hybrids that I simply cannot forget afterward. Just think of Tusk by iconic filmmaker Kevin Smith. If you haven’t watched Tusk yet, then definitely check it out if you like The Wave.

Okay, the two are nothing alike in many ways but they do star Justin Long and they are “out there” in all the right ways!

Continue reading our The Wave 2020 movie review below.

Justin Long for the win

I’ve been a fan of Justin Long movies ever since the first Jeepers Creepers from 2001. Also, he was in Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell from 2009 which is grossly underrated. So, once again, if you haven’t watched that one either, be sure to check it out.

Justin Long has done so many genre movies (including many genre-benders by Kevin Smith) and while I don’t love all his movies, they do tend to be memorable. To say the least. And yes, Tusk does come to mind every time I think of Justin Long now. 

In The Wave, Justin Long plays a very mature and serious lawyer, who isn’t really happy. He’s stuck in a boring marriage that seems to have outlived itself. Also, his job as a lawyer is in the “corporate” department so it consists mostly of screwing over the little guy so the company can profit.

Overall, the story of Justin Long’s character in The Wave can be compared to that of Scrooge. Forgive me, but most movies that involve some sort of character evolution or redemption reminds me of good ol’ Scrooge when I watch them right after Christmas.

The awesome supporting cast

While I do think The Wave is Justin Long’s movie in most ways, I don’t want to leave out the awesome supporting cast of The Wave. We have Donald Faison as Jeff, the best friend of Frank (Justin Long) and ever since the Scrubs TV series, Donald Faison has been perfect in this role. In fact, his character in The Wave did remind me a lot of Dr. Turk.

Also, the ever-brilliant Tommy Flanagan plays the character who really gets the story started. He’s the one who gives Frank the drug that gives him some special “skills” and a whole new take on how to “do life”. You may know Tommy Flanagan from Sons of Anarchy or Braveheart. Basically, he’s been around for quite a few decades and always delivers stellar performances!

Finally, I have to mention the two women that lead Frank to this crazy experience. Frank and Jeff are just out having drinks when Natalie and Theresa enter the picture. Natalie is played by Swedish actor Katia Winter who you might know from the series Sleepy Hollow and Dexter. Theresa is portrayed by Sheila Vand who I always expect great things from.

Sheila Vand starred in Ana Lily Amirpour’s vampire horror drama A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night from 2014. Also, you may have seen her in the all-female horror anthology XX (2017) and she is in the upcoming TV series adaptation of Snowpiercer (2013). The series will be out in 2020 and is developed by Orphan Black creator Graeme Manson. 

Don’t miss The Wave

It’s hard to believe that The Wave is the feature film debut from director Gille Klabin. It becomes somewhat easier when you realize that Gille Klabin has been making short films for more than 10 years. Also, he did make a feature film documentary in 2011. Literally! It’s called 30 Day Feature Film Challenge: The Movie. I haven’t watched it but I am fascinated by the concept.

In any case, The Wave certainly proves to me that Gille Klabin is a very interesting director that I’ll be keeping an eye on.

The story – which is key to this crazy little movie – is by screenwriter Carl W. Lucas. This is only his second screenplay to be produced but he already has another one in pre-production now. His next movie will be a Western, which he will also direct, and it’s titled The Old Way. Once again, I will be watching out for this movie since this one was pretty damn brilliant!

I’m sure The Wave isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve watched the trailer (you’ll find it below) and liked it, then you should love the movie. Then again, dark comedy and sci-fi is definitely my jam, so I’m not surprised I really enjoyed it. Also, Justin Long is just perfect in these wacky stories! Don’t miss out on this one.

The Wave is out in US theaters and on VOD from Januar 17, 2020.

Details

Director: Gille Klabin
Writer: Carl W. Lucas
Stars: Justin Long, Tommy Flanagan, Katia Winter, Sheila Vand, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Bill Sage

Plot

Frank, an opportunistic insurance lawyer, thinks he’s in for the time of his life when he goes out on the town to celebrate an upcoming promotion with his co-worker, Jeff. But their night takes a turn for the bizarre when Frank is dosed with a hallucinogen that completely alters his perception of the world, taking him on a psychedelic quest through board meetings, nightclubs, shootouts, and alternate dimensions. As Frank ping-pongs between reality and fantasy, he finds himself on a mission to find a missing girl, himself – and his wallet.