One of the most-anticipated films of the fall, “Waves,” is finally beginning to expand into more theaters, courtesy of A24. And if you’ve seen the film, you’ll understand why it’s safe to say that music plays a huge role in the Trey Edward Shults’ latest feature. And speaking to The Film Stage, the director talks about that, and specifically how Kanye West’s music influenced so much of “Waves.”
Without going into spoilers (as many have yet to see the film), there’s a point in “Waves” where the character of Tyler (played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr) goes through a crucial situation, with the song “I Am A God” by Kanye West playing in the film. For Shults, the inclusion of West’s music wasn’t just important for that scene, but also for the character of Tyler and the film, as a whole.
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“I’ve been a Kanye fan for a long time,” said Shults. “He’s an endlessly fascinating person. I think he’s a musical genius and I love his stuff. For all sorts of reasons, using ‘I Am A God’ feels so true to Tyler. Not only is that the kind of music you’d hear in that headspace, but it’s kind of spilling out of his head and pouring onto the rest.”
He continued, “I think The Life of Pablo poster on Tyler’s wall–that album for me plays like a man at war with himself. ‘Ultralight Beam’ is this incredibly beautiful gospel hip-hop, then you have this incredibly crass stuff from Yeezus and that sort of dichotomy playing off each other in that sloppy way, it feels like life in a way. We thought when TLOP came out that would be a big moment for Tyler and his friends. I’m fascinated by the guy and I think his spirit has worked his way into the movie in a lot of ways.”
As if that wasn’t enough musical talk from Shults, the director also compiled a brand-new playlist on Spotify that includes dozens of songs that helped inspire him while working on “Waves.” And as you might expect, the 55 songs are from various artists including the aforementioned West, as well as Frank Ocean, Radiohead, James Blake, Outkast, M83, Amy Winehouse, Tyler the Creator, Nine Inch Nails, Kendrick Lamar, and Arcade Fire. Quite an eclectic bunch, to say the least.
You can listen to the entire 55-track playlist that inspired “Waves” below. The film is now playing in select cities and will be expanding in the weeks to come.