‘In Waves’ Review – A Bittersweet Ode To Surfing And First Love [Cannes 2026]

After Flow in 2024, the Cannes Film Festival once again celebrates the beauty of animation, the tactile art of drawing, and the emotions that non-live-action movies can provoke. This is by choosing In Waves, Phuong Mai Nguyen’s directional debut, as the opening film for this year’s Semaine de la Critique, one of the festival’s side strands. And what a beautifully bittersweet choice it is!

With a wide range of visual styles, the filmmaker delivers a tearjerker that leaves no one untouched. While the sunlight colours breathe the vibrancy of youth and the warmth of the first love between AJ and Kristen, the monochrome drawing highlights surfing and the Hawaiian heritage. Kristen loves surfing, while artist and skateboarder AJ is afraid of the water, which often makes him a laughingstock among his friends. Mainly because they live near Huntington Beach, aka Surf City USA, where even surfer Duke Kahanamoku, who put the sport on the global map, has a statue.

However, when teenage hormones kick in, it seems you can even overcome aquaphobia. AJ and Kristen have been friends since a young age, and during their teens, they grow closer, leading not only to a wonderful relationship but also to AJ’s fear of water gradually fading. His true passion, though, still lies in drawing, because, as a creative bee, he dreams of living and working in a more buzzing city.

In Waves isn’t just another love story between two different people who’ve known each other their entire lives. It’s also a wonderful celebration of inherited history and the immense power of surfing culture. What used to be a culture on the verge of extinction at the hands of the colonial missionaries fought back in the strongest way possible. Just like the strong waves, the culture and the bond between the central couple in the film seem unbreakable.

However, when a totally unexpected drama hits AJ and Kristen, their lives unravel. That’s where the quieter, more minimalist animation comes to the forefront. The light, vibrant sketches and the archival scenes full of detail make way for a more sorrowful, grounded atmosphere. The grounded feeling is heightened even more by the sound. The whoosh of the waves brings much-needed space to breathe during the harder-to-watch scenes, because no matter how many emotional clues you get throughout the movie, the third act will hit you like a ton of bricks. 

That sorrow and emotionality manifest not only in the visuals but also in the voicing. While Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu lend their voices to the English version, we saw the French version, in which Rio Vega and Lyna Khoudri take the lead. Khoudri voices Kristen with an unmatched vibrancy, while Vega beautifully brings the shy awkwardness of a teenage boy to life. Their early encounters, the secret meet-ups (as the parents can’t know about this yet), and the anxious waits for that next FaceTime call or text will definitely put a smile on your face. A smile that will slowly make space for a tear or a moment of deep reflection when the couple faces their biggest challenge yet. Kristen gave AJ the courage he needed to take on surfing, and now he is stepping in as her emotional support in return.

While this feature definitely pulls on your heartstrings, it’s not overly dramatic. The filmmaker and her team bring the necessary dignity, charm, and honesty to this feature. Because of the lack of (melo)drama, the supporting characters feel slightly underdeveloped and cliched. Kristen and AJ might be the heart of the story, but the supporting characters do nothing more than, well, support. They’re not as complex and rich as both the central couple and the vibrant colours, and that’s a shame, because if they had been equally well-thought-out, the emotional impact would have been even higher. 

In Waves might not be able to escape the clutches of cliches, but because it’s based on a real-life story, we can more easily forgive Nguyen for those flaws. Ultimately, when the characters ride their final wave, she succeeds in creating a sensitive love story-turned-drama that will have you completely in its emotional grip. 

In Waves held its World Premiere as the Opening Night film of the Critics’ Week section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. 

Director: Phuong Mai Nguyen

Screenwriters: Fanny Burdino, Samuel Doux

Rated: NR

Runtime: 91m