Some of you may have missed out on 2016’s hidden masterpiece, Trey Edward Shults’ “Krisha.” However, there is a vocal fanbase behind the film and many are starting to see Shults as one of the most talented young indie filmmakers to come around in ages. “Krisha” was a movie that defied standard film experiences, and felt way ahead of its time — it could prove to be, in the forseeable future, a pivotal moment in film history. A scathing, Kubrick-ian vision of a family reunion from hell, “Krisha” not only turned out to be a miracle for the work of art that it was, but it also felt damn near miraculous to have such an intimate and independently financed film, shot in nine days with a cast consisting mostly of Shults’ family, existing in the current cinematic zeitgeist.
Shults’ follow-up was the much anticipated post-apocalyptic set “It Comes at Night” which dealt with an unknown entity killing off humanity. Despite its flaws, Shults slowly creeped us, frame by frame, into his slow-burning web of dreadful horrors. It was a mindbender that slowly revealed itself right up until its final, devastating frame.
Now the 30 year-old writer-director is back with “Waves,” which was a surprise hit at the Telluride Film Festival just last week. I will be catching it this coming Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. A24 hasn’t dated “Waves” yet, but November is being mentioned by numerous sources.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.