Waves
“Love is patient.”
Synopsis
A controlling father’s attempts to ensure that his two children succeed in high school backfire after his son experiences a career-ending sports injury. Their familial bonds are eventually placed under severe strain by an unexpected tragedy.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer 2Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2019-10-29
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Tyler
Taylor Russell
Emily
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Catharine
Sterling K. Brown
Ronald
Lucas Hedges
Luke
Alexa Demie
Alexis
Neal Huff
Bill
Clifton Collins Jr.
Bobby
Krisha Fairchild
English Teacher
Ruben E. A. Brown
Wally
Joshua Brockington
Stan
Vivi Pineda
Elena
David Garelik
Ryan
Bill Wise
Coach Wise
Harmony Korine
Mr. Stanley
Holland Hayes
Doctor Steve
Justin R. Chan
Chang
Albert Link
Minister
Release History & Theatrical Window
Streaming Window: 70 DaysToronto International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
November 15, 2019
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 24, 2020
VOD & Digital Platforms
February 4, 2020
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.43x
-$3.4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Trey Edward Shults
- Screenplay & Story
- Trey Edward Shults
- Original Score
- Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor, Jay Electronica
- Original Title
- Waves
- Country of Origin
- Canada, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 16m
- Production Budget
- $6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.6M
- Production Studios
- A24, Bron Studios, JW Films, Guy Grand Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Trey Edward Shults
Trey Edward Shults
Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor, Jay Electronica
Drew Daniels
Isaac Hagy, Trey Edward Shults
Kevin Turen, Jacob Jaffke, Trey Edward Shults, James Wilson
Department Leadership Roster
Lucien Harriot
Visual Effects Supervisor
Artie Malesci
Stunt Coordinator
Atticus Ross
Original Music Composer
Kevin Turen
Producer
Trent Reznor
Original Music Composer
Drew Daniels
Director of Photography
Elliott Hostetter
Production Design
Rachel Dainer-Best
Costume Design
Trey Edward Shults
Producer
James Wilson
Producer
Isaac Hagy
Editor
Trey Edward Shults
Editor
Trey Edward Shults
Director
Trey Edward Shults
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Waves.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Waves.
Every A24 Film
Every A24 Movie Ever A24 EST. 2012 NEW YORK, NY A24厂牌全收录： 收录由知名独立娱乐公司 A24（成立于2012年）制作或发行的所有电影。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:36:48 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 250 Films with the Most Fans
Letterboxd's official Top 250 films with the most fans. Letterboxd 官方粉丝最多 Top 250 榜单： 按被平台用户标记为个人主页‘最爱（Favorites）’的数量对剧情长片进行排序的榜单。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:26 UTC+8)*
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Coming of Age
Filmes Adultos
Filmes eróticos.
A24 Studio Films
Studio list: films associated with A24 on TMDb, generated from company ID 41077.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Waves
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Waves about?
A controlling father’s attempts to ensure that his two children succeed in high school backfire after his son experiences a career-ending sports injury. Their familial bonds are eventually placed under severe strain by an unexpected tragedy.
Who directed Waves?
Waves was directed by Trey Edward Shults.
Who stars in Waves?
The principal cast of Waves includes Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges.
When was Waves released and how long is it?
Waves was released in 2019 with a total runtime of 2h 16m.
What was the box office and production budget of Waves?
Waves had a reported production budget of $6M and grossed $2.6M at the worldwide box office (0.43 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Waves?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Waves was composed by Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor, Jay Electronica.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Waves?
Waves holds official age classifications: AU: MA15+ (Mature Accompanied — Restricted to persons 15 and older.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).