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.