The film 'Waves' makes a clear attempt to be an important independent movie, using flashy camera work and carefully chosen music selections; however, this focus on style seems to overshadow the effort to create compelling narratives about its characters, relying instead on visual tricks in lieu of substantial writing. This ultimately results in a very long viewing experience—the film runs for 135 minutes—that feels like an unnecessary burden. Director Shults has stated that he drew inspiration from Frank Ocean’s 'Blonde,' which is also featured within the movie. What viewers are presented with resembles more the feeling of listening to music while wallowing in sadness, a descent into bleakness; yet, 'Waves' proves to be less satisfying than simply experiencing those feelings on one's own.

Source on TMDB