Justin Long has had an interesting career. From mainstream successes in rom coms and blockbuster hits alongside huge stars, he has become something of a horror icon with standout performances in Jeepers Creepers, Tusk and Barbarian to name but a few. However, with The Wave, Long positions himself in a far more mind-melding science fiction direction with fascinating results.
The Wave follows Frank, a cynical insurance lawyer who is angling for a promotion. Frank is moderately successful, but deeply unhappy. His marriage has stagnated and his work is morally dubious. On the insistence of his colleague Jeff, Frank goes out the night before his big presentation and encounters Theresa, who invites them to a party. Once they arrive, Frank finds himself being offered a hallucinogenic drug from a mysterious figure named Aeolus. However, this is no ordinary drug and Frank finds himself slipping through time and space to different moments over a course of a few days, becoming increasingly aware of a cosmic purpose previously undiscovered.
Despite originally releasing in 2019, The Wave is finally being released in the UK market. Ordinarily that would be a cause for concern. All too often films starring well known actors are shelved, unable to find distribution until that actor does something notable and then it’s given a release to capitalise on the existing momentum. Frequently, but not always, these films are of a lower standard which is why they’ve struggled to be released. That is not so much the case with The Wave. It’s a fun, trippy science fiction caper that takes an interesting, unexpected route to developing the main character on their journey.
Aesthetically, The Wave is really well shot mixing a sense of sea-sick, dreamlike visuals with a grimy, almost banal view of the unnamed city the characters live in. Justin Long is excellent as the scummy insurance lawyer who slowly realises that his life is not what it should have been and that he could do better. Donald Faisal is also excellent as the colleague and friend trying to comprehend the journey Frank is undertaking, even if it’s not initially as a willing passenger.
The Wave has a few moments where it loses its way. The second act is a bit lopsided and feels wonky in places. However, the disorientating nature of the visuals and the story make that work and covers any cracks in the narrative. It also feels like the resolution in the final act is a tiny bit too easy and parcelled up in a neat package, but again the surreal quality of the film as a whole makes it possible that everything that unfolds is merely some sort of hallucination that never really happened.
The Wave is something of a hidden gem. Justin Long has taken a chance on a film that feels off kilter and unusual in a way that is rarely seen, but it works unexpectedly well. It’s far from perfect, but there’s certainly a far more compelling piece of work to be seen in The Wave than the delayed release would suggest it deserves.
The Wave is on UK digital 21 September from Miracle Media
