We all desire love in and Phuong Mai Nguyen‘s gorgeous debut animated film In Waves. It’s young love and loss amongst Californian surfing, watch first Trailer.

In Waves is based on AJ Dungo’s autobiographical graphic novel set in the sun-soaked surf culture of Southern California, This explores the joy of finding your soulmate, the courage it takes to live life to the fullest, and the enduring power of love to shape who we become and what we leave behind.

Will Sharpe and Stephanie Hsu voice our young lovers. Nuguyen told Netflix “I wanted to make a film that highlights the tenderness and the resilience in this couple and their group of friends. I wanted the film to convey, through the characters, an urgency to live and to believe in the future.”

Our writer Robert Ewing watched the film at Toronto Film Festival this year. He described the film as “a great film in here, but at present it feels like a safe one, designed to tug at the audience’s heartstrings. I just wish it pulled harder“.

Related Post: In Waves Review (2026 Toronto Film Festival)

Synopsis| AJ (voiced by Will Sharpe), a reserved high school student in Los Angeles, spends his days drawing and skateboarding with his friends. Kristen (voiced by Stephanie Hsu), an energetic surfer, finds joy and freedom in the ocean. When they meet, curiosity evolves into deep love: Kristen teaches AJ to surf and shares its historical connection to Hawaiian culture. As their relationship grows closer, AJ is inspired to preserve their connection by drawing their story.

An animated true story set against the sun-soaked surf culture of Southern California, IN WAVES explores the joy of finding your soulmate, the courage it takes to live life to the fullest, and the enduring power of love to shape who we become and what we leave behind.

In Waves will get a limited UK and Irish cinema release on 27th November, before it heads to Netflix on 11th December.

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