Written and directed by Linh Tran, co-written by Jewells Santos and Delia Van Praag. Over the course of a week-long beach side getaway, Amy, finds herself wrestling between loyalty to her best friend Kim and her attraction to Kim’s new boyfriend. Starring: Erik Barrientos, Qun Chi, Joyce Ha, Jin Park and Sam Straley.
When stories delve into modern relationships and friendships between people in their early twenties, you tend to get an ADHD styled, hyperactive, intense or extremely lively atmosphere. That’s why it’s surprising that Waiting for the Light to Change stays far away from that and creates something with a nicely simple air, it holds plenty of conflict but almost always has a calmness to it. There’s a charm to that choice, to ease the audience into the story and allow them to get to know these characters before they begin to clash.
The progression is slow but it works, it has that long weekend, relaxed vibe to it, allowing things to flow naturally. Even when their conflicts do arise, they don’t throw that aggravation in your face, it’s still a discussion, and it’s framed in a way that’s evaluating how their friendships and relationships have changed with age and distance. Although the ending choices of its story can feel unsatisfying or a little unresolved. It’s a shame as its story works well throughout but misses out on creating a moment to neatly or organically wrap things up.
One of the other unexpected elements of Waiting for the Light to Change is how Linh Tran uses the quiet. There are a lot of pensive, meandering moments which build that atmosphere of reflection. Tran’s style adds layers to the conflicts at work in this story, bringing them into the fold before they’ve even really been discussed. There’s a good flow to the way that it moves and it nicely captures a different side to the newest generations, those who prefer casual, relaxed environments over raging, hormone fuelled parties, which is refreshing to see.
There’s a good ensemble at work, they help to fuel the natural feel to the film, they’re all relatable and sympathetic characters who feel very real. Jin Park’s Amy creates that debate of how as you grow, you might realise the people around you have unhealthy or toxic qualities. She has a vulnerability and kindness to her, approaching this new realisation with a lot of sensitivity. Whereas Joyce Ha’s Kim is quite blunt and open, there is a sweetness mixed in but it can tend to be overtaken by not always being aware of others’ feelings. The entire cast is a good mix, creating all the different intricacies of their varying relationships, new or old.
Waiting for the Light to Change is an understated, quiet story of changing friendships. Exploring how your early twenties can be a time when your perspective or priorities shift. It moves slowly but with purpose, it has a pondering atmosphere and flows very naturally. It has a great cast of young actors who all create convincing, relatable characters. It’s a refreshing look at young people of today but feels as though it loses its way in the end, unable to close this story out with a resounding note.
FilmCarnage.com 