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In Waves

Play trailer Poster for In Waves PG-13 1h 31m Drama Animation Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
In Los Angeles, AJ, a shy teenager, meets Kristen. She lives for surfing; he loves skateboarding and drawing. They fall madly in love, and a happy future seems within reach. But everything changes when Kristen faces a sudden illness. Together, they face adversity, driven by the strength of their love, their friends, and their newly shared passion for surfing and the ocean.

Cast & Crew

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Phuong Mai Nguyen

Director

Stephanie Hsu

Kristen

Will Sharpe

AJ

Fanny Burdino

Screenwriter

Samuel Doux

Screenwriter

Priscilla Bertin

Producer

Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Screen International Jun 27, 2026
Gradually, as the story progresses, the surface of the sea becomes choppier and more erratic. It’s not the most subtle of visual metaphors, but it is pertinent. Go to Full Review Tomris Laffly Variety May 28, 2026
In Waves offers viewers a good old-fashioned cry, in the form of a traditional emotional rollercoaster that wants to win over our cynical hearts in hordes. Its grief is a wave that ebbs and flows, and it’s very much worth riding. Go to Full Review Carlos Aguilar The Playlist May 26, 2026
C
From a visual standpoint, the result is gorgeously realized, though far from innovative. Narratively, however, it remains by-the-numbers and simplistically sentimental. Go to Full Review Dionar Hidalgo Algo Más Que Cine 7 hrs ago
7/10
In Waves turns a young love story into a moving meditation on grief and loss. Its gorgeous animation and evocative ocean imagery give the film a distinctive visual identity, even when its emotional depth feels somewhat limited. Go to Full Review Abe Friedtanzer Awards Buzz 5 days ago
8/10
Phuong Mai Nguyen makes an assured feature directorial debut with a sensitive and moving depiction of instant, poignant chemistry. Go to Full Review Pete Hammond Deadline Hollywood Daily Jun 23, 2026
It becomes a memoir of loss, of grief, of dealing with life’s saddest moments in waves that take you over but never under. That is the poignant truth of In Waves, and that is also along with the gorgeous animation in director Phuong Mal Nguyen’s debut. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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In Waves

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Los Angeles, AJ, a shy teenager, meets Kristen. She lives for surfing; he loves skateboarding and drawing. They fall madly in love, and a happy future seems within reach. But everything changes when Kristen faces a sudden illness. Together, they face adversity, driven by the strength of their love, their friends, and their newly shared passion for surfing and the ocean.
Director
Phuong Mai Nguyen
Producer
Priscilla Bertin, Judith Nora, Nick Shumaker
Screenwriter
Fanny Burdino, Samuel Doux
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Silex Films, Charades Productions, Anonymous Content, France 3 Cinema
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Material|A Full Nude Image|Some Language|Nudity)
Genre
Drama, Animation, Romance
Original Language
French
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 27, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 11, 2026
Runtime
1h 31m
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