Have you ever watched a movie that when it ended, you wanted to watch it again, but still wondered what you had just watched?
The Wave is kind of like that, but not in a bad way. I mean, the main character spends most of the movie tripping on some drug, so of course not everything is very clear. This film is what you get when you mix drugs, Justin Long, some trippy maybe time-altering drug, Donald Faison, and a missing wallet: a trippy but funny tale with a twist of time travel.
Interested? Here is the synopsis from Epic Pictures:
Frank, an opportunistic insurance lawyer, thinks he’s in for the time of his life when he goes out on the town to celebrate a soon-to-be promotion with his co-worker, Jeff, but their night takes a turn for the worse when Frank is dosed with a hallucinogenic that alters his perception and changes his life forever. He is thrown into a psychedelic quest through board meetings, nightclubs, shootouts, and alternate dimensions. As Frank ping-pongs across reality, he finds himself on a mission to find a missing girl, himself…and his wallet.
The film begins simply enough: we meet Frank (Justin Long) and see him in his element at work. A co-worker (Donald Faison) invites him out to celebrate an upcoming promotion, but Frank says he can’t because it’s a Tuesday, which means he will be home with wife in their rut—I mean, routine of a marriage. What harm could it do to go out and have a drink with a friend instead, right?
Turns out…a lot. Not only does Frank lose his wallet, but he has also lost the memory of most of the night, and one of his companions from the evening is missing. What should be a funny Hangover-style mission of Frank and Jeff trying to put all the missing pieces together instead is a Dali-esque quest: time bends, melts, goes forward, backward…
The movie is fast-paced, except for when time slows down, and is full of what-did-I-just-see and funny moments that will keep you watching and wondering until the very end…when you’re still wondering, trying to let your mind wrap around all that you just saw.
This was the first film I’ve seen by screenwriter Carl W. Lucas and I definitely can’t wait to see more from him. His writing style made such a good first impression, so I needed to learn more about him. If you do, too, be sure to check out Film Combat Syndicate’s interview with him.
So what are you waiting for? Go check out The Wave. It will be in select theaters and video on demand on January 17th. Here’s a sample of what you will see:
The Wave Festival Teaser 2019 from EchoWolf Productions on Vimeo.
I’m gonna go watch it again.