At first glance, the 2019 sci-fi/thriller film, The Wave, seems like just another movie about a ruthless insurance lawyer who is displeased with his wife and perhaps life and wants to seek some fun by hitting the bars with his friend and going on a drug bender. No morals or meaning to the story, just a man having a little too much fun that quickly escalates out of control. It’s a narrative that many people will relate to who wish they could live out a similar fantasy and indulge themselves the way that Frank (Justin Long) did in the film by shooting up on drugs.
Directed by Gille Klabin and produced by EchoWolf Productions, the film was released on September 21, 2019, at the Fantastic Fest, an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, to positive reviews from critics. However, it failed to catch the attention of the average moviegoer who probably missed the film altogether and has never even heard of it. Why? Is The Wave just another drug comedy with little substance to it? This kind of film can be fun to watch if you’re into that sort of thing, but there is actually quite a bit more to this psychedelic film which stars Long, Tommy Flanagan, Katia Winter, Donald Faison, Sheila Vand, and Bill Sage. Make no mistake, it is indeed a psychedelic film, but it is one that has a positive message mixed in with the drugs and strange happenings.
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What Happens in The Wave?
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The Wave starts rather boringly. Frank is an insurance lawyer who is good at his job. He makes a living by trying to find any reason to prevent his employer from having to pay out insurance claims. At the start of the film, he has just found a way to prevent his company from paying out a $4 million insurance policy to a fireman who died from a heart attack. Knowing that will probably earn him a big promotion, his coworker, Jeff (Faison, from Scrubs), invites him out for a night of celebratory drinks.
At first, Frank declines, but after going home and dealing with his stereotypically nagging wife, he decides to accept, much to Jeff’s delight. From there, Jeff and Frank head to a bar where they meet two very attractive women, Natalie (Katia Winter) and Theresa (Sheila Vand, from The OA and Snowpiercer). Next, the foursome decides to check out a nearby party, and that’s where Frank and Theresa meet Aeolus (Tommy Flanagan from Sons of Anarchy), “the guy,” otherwise known as the man with the drugs. From there, things get weird after Frank and Theresa both take a mysterious hallucinogenic drug. What happens next is a psychedelic trip that has Frank jumping back and forth in time through a variety of locations.
Frank Is Actually Dying
Director Gille Klabin and Justin Long chatted with Collider to discuss the film and spill some of its secrets, and what they divulged is that Frank is actually dying and the “trips” are the universe’s way of showing him what he needs to do to repent before he dies and passes on. In the middle of the film, Frank witnesses a car accident and goes to help, but stops in the middle of the road when an electric sign (that the vehicle hit) starts to fall. As he is standing dazed in the middle of the road, an oncoming car hits him and Frank is transported to a place that feels like heaven. He is lying down on a blanket and pillow and Theresa is there next to him. She says a phrase to him that is repeated throughout the film: “Today is your big day.” It’s the same phrase that he saw on the electronic sign right before he was hit by a car.
It seems that phrase is the universe’s message to him that today is the day to change, to become a better person. After Theresa says the key phrase, Frank is thrust back into reality into the back seat of Jeff’s car. Frank then asks for the time and realizes that it’s been 16 hours since he first hit up the hallucinogen drug. He is baffled by the fact that he is still tripping, as he should have come down hours ago. While it’s a quick moment that is easily missed, it’s a hint that perhaps Frank is not tripping and that there is something much bigger going on.
The Universe Gives Frank a Chance to Repent
The universe first shows Frank just how corrupt he is during his business meeting and big pitch to his employer when he shows his boss, Jonas (Bill Sage), a loophole to spare the company from paying out the insurance policy to the deceased fireman’s family. During the meeting, things turn dark, literally, when Frank sees his boss and coworkers in a demonic light as they laugh over the cleverness of avoiding the payout. It’s at that time that Frank sees just how greedy his coworkers are. They don’t care about moral values; all they care about is money. While they may not be literal demons, their souls are black, and they are morally evil people.
Later, Frank gets a chance to right this wrong when he is transported to his office and asked to update the beneficiary on his life insurance policy since it is his sixth anniversary and this is something that employees do every three years. Per the promotion he just received, he now qualifies for the platinum plan which entitles him to a $4 million life insurance policy. Frank defaults on giving the money to his wife, but when none of his pens work, he returns to the secretary. Before he can ask for a pen, she reads him a nasty note left by his wife informing him that she is leaving and done with their marriage.
As Frank processes his wife’s note, the secretary gives him some advice about acknowledging his wrongs and trying to make amends for them. She then hands him a brown envelope containing the information about the deceased fireman’s family that Frank accidentally left in the conference room. After thinking it over, Frank knows what he must do, but he still doesn’t have a pen. So, the secretary hands him one and says, “The universe provides.” Frank then fills out the new insurance policy, stating the deceased fireman’s family as his new beneficiary. However, on his way to mail the policy and finalize it, he runs into his greedy boss, Jonas, who looks it over and informs him that he can either tear up the policy or turn in his resignation.
Giving His Boss Karma
After Frank finalized his new insurance policy, the film is almost over, but there is just one loose end to tie up. Remember when Frank was hit by a car? Turns out, the offender is Jonas, who is highly intoxicated. Earlier in the film, Frank accidentally stole drugs from a drug lord which resulted in Frank and his friends nearly being killed by the irate criminal. When the police open up Jonas’ trunk, they find the missing drugs there, possibly hinting that Frank may have had something to do with the placement of the drugs to get his boss into even more trouble. Now, it seems that karma, or the universe, has caught up with Jonas and is repaying his “kindness” in life, as Jonas will likely go to jail for a long time for manslaughter, drunk driving, and the possession of illegal drugs.
At its surface, The Wave is about a man on a drug bender. However, when you do a deep dive into the film you see a much more meaningful story. This sci-fi/thriller is actually about a corrupt man whom the universe has given another chance to correct his wrongs, and when Frank finally listens, the film comes to a glorious end.
You can stream The Wave for free with ads on platforms like Tubi, Vudu, and Peacock, or watch it without ads on Prime Video.
