This unknown film arrives by surprise in the Top 10 Netflix

When it was released in 2019, this American drama had not really won over the public! Nevertheless, waves ranks today in the Top 10 of the most watched films of the moment on Netflix in France, where it occupies 5th place, just ahead of In the west, nothing is new. How to explain this sudden success on the streaming platform? No doubt the story that follows Tyler, 18, about to enter a university in Miami. After her mother’s death by overdose, her father, Ronald, remarried. He wishes the best for his son and wants to teach him to go beyond his limits. Alexis, his girlfriend, worries about their future. At school, Tyler must both be a good student and chain victories in wrestling. But his shoulder hurts more than he cares to admit. To bear the pain, the young man begins to take painkillers, little at first and then more and more. To the point that his behavior is changed…

waves : only 2 million recipes in the world

waves grossed a low total of just $1.7 million in the United States. In its first weekend of release, the film earned $134,333 from four theaters, averaging $33,583 per theater. Expanding to 21 theaters the following weekend, the film grossed $168,760, then $140,995 in 44 theaters for its third. In total, the film earned $2.5 million worldwide. A low score, but not so surprising since despite some well-known names in the cast (Sterling K. Brown and Renée Elise Goldsberry in particular), it is an independent film, therefore not benefiting from much promotion, nor mass release in theaters.

…despite fairly good reviews

On US review site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an aggregate rating of 84% based on 254 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. In France, First writes that, “like the movie Moonlight by Barry Jenkins, it’s a modern and fluorescent odyssey, driven by an obvious desire for reconciliation and tenderness. An object that is both very sharp and very soft. Far from perfect, but frankly impressive”. However, the film received generally mixed reviews from the press, Allociné offering an average of 2.8/5 out of 16 press titles.

Article written in collaboration with 6Medias