Sterling K. Brownhas been an instantly recognizable face on television for nearly a decade, as the conclusion of his Emmy Award-winning role onThis Is Uswas followed up by another collaboration with creatorDan Fogelmanon the thriller seriesParadise; in between, he’s made time to givestunning supporting turns on acclaimed showslikeAmerican Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. SimpsonandThe Marvelous Ms. Maisel. Brown has certainly proven himself as a presence in cinema as well, as he earned his first Academy Award nomination for his hilarious supporting role in the satirical dramedyAmerican Fiction. However,Brown gave a devastating performance as an emotionally wounded father inWaves, which is one of the most underrated A24 dramas ever.
What Is ‘Waves’ About?
Brown stars inWavesas the strict father Ronald Williams, who believes that he needs to push his children to reach their fullest potential by never accepting anything but the absolute best. His son, Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), is a competitive wrestler in the midst of an intense competition, and decides to mask evidence of an injury so that he does not let his father down. Ronald’s daughter, Emily (Taylor Russell), is an excellent student, but often struggles to gain the attention of her father. While Ronald’s wife, Catherine (Renée Elise Goldsberry), urges him to scale back in his methodical approach to childrearing, he ends up getting into a major argument with Tyler after he reveals that his ex-girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie) is actually pregnant. After an unexpected tragedy changes their lives forever, Ronald is forced to confront what role heplayed in splitting his family apart.
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Waveshas a fascinating bifurcated structure, as the first half of the film is told from the perspective of Tyler, with the second shown from Emily’s perspective. This creates a stark difference in the tone of the story; Tyler’s segment is an intense psychological drama that peaks with his confrontation with Alexis, with Emily’s half of the film becoming a more meditative drama in whichshe begins to find romancewith her brother’s former friend, Luke (Lucas Hedges). Brown’s performance is dynamic because he is only able to show the version of Ronald that his children perceive, as he acts very differently when around them both, and dramatically changes his behavior after the tragic incident. Although Tyler sees his father as a belligerent bully who is lashing out because of his own frustrations about being unfulfilled, Emily perceives Ronald to be a broken man who has lost everything that he cares about. It’s a testament to Brown’s dynamic acting skills that he is able to skillfully transition between being terrifying and heartbreaking so fluidly.
‘Waves’ Is a Sensitive Examination of Parental Anxiety
Brown is able to play a nuanced characterwho may feel like an antagonist at times, even though he does genuinely believe that he has his children’s best interests in mind. Ronald understands that as a black man, Tyler will be forced to work harder to land opportunities, and knows from firsthand experience that it is hard to overcome prejudice. However, Ronald is also so reticent to show any genuine sense of vulnerability to Tyler because he fears that it could undermine his authority; as a result, their relationship is fractured, as Tylersees his father as more of an employerthan a mentor. Among the most heartbreaking aspects of the film is watching Ronald come to the realization that he’s been leading Tyler down a path to unfair expectations, and that it may be too late to amend their relationship.
Brown is able to give shades of ambiguity to Ronald,as the film makes it unclear what instances in his life led him to be so belligerent. A brief feud he has with Catherine shines some insight into why he feels so much responsibility as a parent, but Brown is able to keep Ronald’s deeper secrets from the audience.Wavesisa powerful coming-of-age storythat examines the unyielding pressure that young people are under within the modern age, but Brown was able to pinpoint how it’s possible for their parents to be just as insecure about their futures.
