The Wave
Frank (Justin Long) is an insurance salesman climbing up the corporate ladder. When he and his coworker/best friend Jeff (Donald Faison) go to a party to blow off some steam, Frank meets Theresa (Sheila Vand), an alluring woman who offers Frank a temporary escape from his frustrated wife Cheryl (Sarah Minnich). The pair meet Ritchie (Ronnie Gene Blevins), a drug dealer who offers the a hallucinogenic unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. The drug is placed on Theresa’s tongue and she passes it along to Frank with a kiss. As the two both go on a trip of a lifetime, Frank suddenly wakes up the next day at the abandoned party house. His phone is dead and his wallet is missing. How is he going to get back home? Where is Theresa? Frank soon realizes that he’s still tripping. Time and space can suddenly change with the smack of a hand. He’s not sure if what he’s experiencing is real or not but he knows he must find Theresa before its too late.
What a trip! Written by Carl W. Lucas and directed by Gille Klabin, The Wave is a psychedelic adventure; a journey into one man’s existential crisis through mind altering drugs. Don’t watch this film while you have a migraine like I did or you’ll start questioning things you have no business questioning. The scenes with Theresa (Vand) as Frank (Long) visits her in a dreamscape are visual spectacles. The special effects, which were created specifically for this film, are fun to watch. The theme of time through smartphones, watches, clocks, etc. is used well but can be hard to follow. I’m not quite sure what the ending means or what the whole thing means really but I enjoyed the ride. The Wave has good intentions but ultimately fails in making any sense. Or maybe that was the point?
The Wave is available on VOD and is screening at select US theaters.