This was an interesting anti-drug movie with what I believe was a slight Scifi touch by the end. The entire film felt very different but with enough issues to substantially reduce the potential enjoyment and entertainment this story could have provided.
The only film that I can think of and is remotely similar is the cool movie After Hours from the 80s. It is remotely similar because in that movie a guy goes to visit a girl that he just knew that day, and his night turned out to be the craziest thing ever. It was a cool movie and very entertaining.
The Wave on the other hand, begins with a similar tone. We have this guy who with the goal of celebrating a new success in his job decides to go for drinks with his friend. In that place, they meet 2 girls and eventually, the guy decides to take a drug. From this point forward, his life will be affected by what appears to be the effects of this mysterious drug.
He jumps between places and time, he gets into trouble and everything seems very chaotic around him. Besides, sometimes he sees people in a very weird light and with what seems to be some kind of filter like those used to add texture to pictures. I guess these drugs must be very extreme indeed. Despite all of this, he is able to remain at least half-aware of what he is going through.
The performances were acceptable but not groundbreaking. Justing Long, the actor who every time I see I am reminded of his cool "I am a MAC and I am a PC" commercials, did an Ok job. It didn't feel like a character properly suited for him, but I guess he got the job done. I do think this plot had more potential that what we see on the screen.
The movie is very different and can certainly be entertaining. But honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about After Hours despite the fact the differences in the plot of these 2 films. There are enough similarities to justify the comparison for sure. If you are looking to experience a weird journey from the POV of a drugged character then this movie should be fun for you. I also think people who tend to use drugs could have a higher chance of enjoying this film.
The best
- The movie can be entertaining and with some uniqueness.
- It has original ways of representing drug-induced craziness.
The worst
- In the end, it would be easy to get confused about what happened. This is probably made by design to simulate the type of confusion these drugs can cause.
More information: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/619263-the-wave Review: AA In numbers: 6/10