There’s a reason coming-of-age movies are so popular among audiences. Whether we’re in grade school or going through a midlife crisis, everyone goes through a period in life when we have to overcome something and grow as a person. That’s why movies like Dazed and Confused and Is This Thing On? connect with viewers easily, as they are able to touch upon relatable topics that anyone could connect with. While it may focus on a darker aspect of life, Netflix’s newest animated tale, In Waves, aims to do the same.

Based on a graphic novel/memoir by AJ Dungo, the film follows the highs and lows of Dungo’s relationship with Kristen. After a brief meet-cute at a high school dance, the two slowly fall in love as they bond over surfing, an activity AJ once resisted. As their love prospers, Kristen is hit with a life-threatening cancer that begins to spread through her leg. Attempting to get rid of the cancer while trying to live normal lives, the film delves into the hardships that come with love and the power of memories.

The LA oceanside setting makes it easy to bring beautiful animation to the screen, but the animation is stunning no matter where the scene takes place. With luscious blues and pinks that emphasize AJ and Kristen’s love and the feeling of surfing, every frame exudes emotion. While it may lack texture, the watercolor 2D style is always a feast for the eyes.

The beginning of Kristen and AJ’s relationship is purposefully corny, highlighting the high school angst that will leave adults reminiscing and the younger generation embarrassed by its relatability. AJ’s reserved nature balances perfectly with Kristen’s free-spirited personality, making it easy to fall for the couple and root for their happiness. It also makes the obstacles they face even harder to bear, as moments of peace are met with piles of hardships that keep the tension high. Even if you’ve never faced the exact same experiences as Kristen and AJ, the film makes it easy to relate to and empathize with them because of its strong characterization.

Cancer dramas have a fairly basic structure; in one moment, someone may be feeling like their normal self, and in the next, they could be near death. In Waves follows a similar structure, and while it always works, it can feel redundant at times. The film uses a broad storytelling method to help audiences understand and connect with the story, but in doing so, it never feels as personal. Because it’s based on someone’s real life, the film should have a personal touch, but it sadly comes across as if it could’ve been anyone in this situation.

The film jumps back and forth in time, with one timeline following the main romance and the other viewing AJ as a full-fledged adult. This structure showed AJ reflecting on his life up to a certain point, but the scenes never added any weight. Instead of adding context to past scenes, each cut to the present felt like the movie was overly explaining AJ’s sadness, which became repetitive after the first couple of scenes. These scenes would’ve been the perfect time to explore more of AJ’s psyche, but the movie instead used them to tell the audience what is already understood.

In its final moments, the film states that “grief comes in waves,” suggesting the title isn’t just a tie-in to surfing, but to the idea that grief isn’t constant. While this may be true in some cases, it wasn’t the case with In Waves. AJ was always wallowing in his trauma in the present-day sequences. He wasn’t fine one moment and heartbroken the next, but instead constantly tackling his grief. This makes the line feel like a baffling inclusion.

Although the contrivances work to its benefit and its detriment, In Waves is still a successful romance drama that hits all the emotional beats needed for a worthwhile experience. With beautiful animation and a likable ensemble, it moves in a crowd-pleasing manner despite its tragic subject matter. Even if it’s a little rough around the edges, the film proves that the coming-of-age format works no matter the age.

In Waves played as a Spotlight Screening at the 35th Heartland International Film Festival. It will be released on Netflix on December 11.

Rating: 6/10

Oscar Prospects:

Best Animated Feature.