In Waves Netflix Review: The Animated Tearjerker That Dares to Tell a Real Human Story

Animated films making you cry aren’t new — but In Waves hits differently. Premiering at the prestigious Annecy Animation Film Festival and heading to Netflix later this year, this film is a quiet revolution in what animation can be.

In Waves: Overview

A Love Story That Doesn’t Sugarcoat Anything

AJ (Will Sharpe) is on the edge of adulthood when he meets Kristen (Stephanie Hsu) — a free-spirited surfer who rewrites everything he thought he knew about life, love, and identity. Their romance blooms fast and bright. Then cancer enters the picture, and nothing is ever the same.

What makes In Waves special is that it’s adapted from a real autobiography. That honesty bleeds into every frame. The dialogue never feels scripted or too polished — these are teenagers who understand the weight of their situation but don’t quite know how to carry it yet. That tension is heartbreaking in the most authentic way.

The film also weaves in themes of cultural identity and belonging — characters born in L.A. but drawn to distant roots, exploring what it means to belong somewhere while standing at the threshold of adulthood.

The Surfing Metaphor Is Pure Poetry

Surfing in In Waves isn’t just a hobby — it’s freedom, connection, and surrender. Rooted in Polynesian tradition, it represents releasing control and riding life’s chaos. It’s quietly one of the most layered thematic devices in recent animated cinema.

For more on the best animated films hitting Netflix this year, check our full list here.

Visuals: Half Stunning, Half Distracting

The backgrounds are gallery-worthy. The character animation, however, occasionally breaks immersion — a trade-off worth accepting for the emotional story beneath.

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