TIFF 2026: Our Review of ‘In Waves’

Posted in Festival Coverage, Movies, TIFF 2026 by - September 18, 2026
TIFF 2026: Our Review of ‘In Waves’

When many people think of graphic novels, they picture superheroes saving the day. Although they can be from any genre, that’s all some people think of.  A lot of people have a similar bias towards animation, thinking animated films are only for children. In Waves is neither of those things. It’s an autobiographical story of a young man who finds true love and face difficult obstacles.

Be warned, tears will flow when watching In Waves. It’s hard to hold them back. This is especially true near the end. Powerful stories that can affect your emotions are always something special. Watching these characters on screen will bring about more than sadness though. It will make you smile, laugh, and even reflect on your own life.

Writer/artist AJ Dungo has a masterpiece on his hands. And director Phuong May Nguyen does an incredible job of taking Dungo’s words and art and using them to create a film that should be nominated for an Oscar.

The art of the film is colourful and realistic, and it always keeps you thinking about the ocean. The artists use a beautiful mix of 2D and 3D animation that gives it a unique feel. You can tell when an animated film is something special, when you forget you are watching an animated film.

In Waves tells a powerful story of a special love, and is one of the best films of TIFF 2026. When it comes to Netflix next month it’s one to watch out for.

Animation rendition of a beach

Cr. Netflix © 2026

 

 

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While Roderick has only been writing movie reviews for a relatively short time, he's been a fan of film for as long as he can remember. It's a love affair that started when he saw Star Wars at a drive-in theatre in Kitchener when he was four years old. In the past decade he's fulfilled his dream of interviewing celebrities, attending red carpets events at festivals such as TIFF and writing reviews for outlets such as Realstylenetwork.com. He's always on the hunt for the next big thing to hit the screen.
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