Directed by Gille Klabin and written by Carl W. Lucas, a man on the verge of a promotion takes a mysterious hallucinogenic drug that begins to tear down his reality and expose his life for what it really is. Starring: Justin Long, Tommy Flanagan, Katia Winter, Donald Faison, Sheila Vand, Sarah Minnich and Bill Sage.
Justin Long is one of those actors where while every single film might not be a winner, his performance almost always makes it worth your time. While his forays into horror have been some of his most memorable, he’s also got strong comedy skills and The Wave is a great example. Long is brilliant at creating these scrambling, clumsy, well-meaning but flawed characters and Frank fits that bill perfectly.
His performance is consistently entertaining throughout, and with The Wave coming in at that sweet spot of just under ninety minutes, that makes for a great ride. Granted, Long can be a love him or hate him type actor, so if you’re not a fan, this one is very likely not for you. Tommy Flanagan is another excellent addition, as the mysterious drug dealer and Donald Faison hits some familiar notes here but they’re good ones.
It’s a fun concept, the overlapping and uncontrollable time travel creates a messy, slightly surreal story. It’s not necessarily complicated, if you go looking to pick this one apart, you’re not going to have as good of a time with it, but if you let go, simply sit back and enjoy it, it’s a good time. There are some cheaply employed effects, but they’re a forgivable weakness. Outside of that, it moves well, it keeps the energy consistent, and the story does have a good pay out.
The Wave is a great piece of easy entertainment, it requires no unpacking, it’s chaotic and unravelling, and is led by a fun performance from Justin Long. It’s got a frenetic, snowballing energy, and a good sense of humour. It can be quite familiar in some ways, but there’s nothing wrong with that, it uses a tried and tested formula to its advantage while adding its own twist.
