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Trey Edward Shults’s Waves, set in the color-graded but socially divided backdrop of South Florida, serves as a searing critique of the American Dream. In films set in Florida, wealth is often portrayed through a stark black and white lense: characters are either drowning in the "rising tide" of poverty or suffocating under the immense pressure of maintaining their image of wealth. Waves centers on a Black middle-class family that has seemingly made it with their business that has let them live in their massive estate, yet the narrative of Waves reveals that in the Floridian landscape, wealth does not equal satisfaction. Instead, the film argues that the systemic drive for capital and status is inherently destructive, creating a culture where the pursuit of success breeds a new form of inequality and emotional bankruptcy. By examining specific dramatic moments and the subsequent shift toward healing, it becomes clear that the “paradise" in Florida is a facade maintained by psychological and economic strain.
Florida presents a unique geographical stage for wealth discrepancy, where well-kept suburbs sit inches away from systemic neglect. Research indicates that income inequality in Florida is not only higher than in many other states but has been worsening over time, directly contributing to social fragmentation (Johnson II). In Waves, the Williams family lives in a world of massive homes, luxury trucks, and expensive athletic programs, yet this wealth serves as a prison that is gilded in wealth. This reflects a state where the bridge between income groups has become a defining characteristic; in recent decades, the top 1% in Florida captured the vast majority of income growth, leaving the bottom 99% to compete for a shrinking pool of stability (Sommeiller & Price, 2014). For the main character Tyler, life is defined by the desperate need to stay on the right side of this widening gap. His father, Ronald, pushes him toward athletic excellence not just for the sake of sport, but as a safeguard against the poor alternative that looms over marginalized communities. The dissatisfaction within the Williams household stems from the realization that the system required to achieve and maintain this status is inherently corrupt. Ronald’s philosophy, "We are not afforded the luxury of being average", suggests that for a Black family in Florida, wealth is not a resting point but a constant, exhausting performance (Waves 2019).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFufKCClK68
The inherent dissatisfaction of the wealthy champion is best exemplified in the scene where Tyler’s internal pressure finally erupts into a physical fight with his parents. At this point in the film, Tyler has discovered his shoulder injury, a type 5 slap-tear, is career-ending. This effectively devalued his human capital as a result. When his parents attempt to provide discipline or guidance, the resulting fight is not merely a teenage outburst; it is a systemic breakdown. The house itself, which is a symbol of success in Florida with its high ceilings and modern finishes, becomes a claustrophobic arena. This scene illustrates the "Great Gatsby Curve" in action: the higher the inequality and the more one has to lose, the higher the anxiety and the lower the actual satisfaction (Boudreaux 5). Tyler has the physical wealth, but he lacks the mental strength to deal with his stress that is independent of money. When he strikes his father and screams at his mother, he is rebelling against the very structure that provided his privilege. The scene proves that the American Dream in Florida is a mountain that is constantly climbed. Even when you have reached the top, the fear of falling back to the bottom of the wealth gap creates an environment of hostility rather than peace. Later in the scene Tyler is spiraling from the loss of his identity, a breakup with his girlfriend Alexis, and her decision to keep her child, he then decides to drive drunk to a prom after-party. This scene is a pure demonstration of cinematic tension with its fast-paced music and driving environment, but more importantly, it serves as a metaphor for the recklessness that accompanies capitalist dissatisfaction. In this scene the feeling that Tyler will make a bad choice is palpable. Tyler is surrounded by the trappings of upper-middle-class youth: a car, expensive clothes, and the promise of a celebratory night. However, the camera’s frantic movement and the aggressive soundtrack highlight a profound emptiness
This reckless behavior aligns with the "status-based stress" identified in highly unequal societies (Rözer et al., 2021). Because Tyler’s sense of self was tied to his external value as a star athlete, his physical injury renders him ruined in his own eyes. The drive to the party is a desperate attempt to reclaim control in a system that has discarded him. He is not looking for fun; he is looking for a collision. This scene exposes the corruption of the Florida dream: the system teaches young people that they are only as good as their latest achievement. When that achievement is taken away, the wealthy lifestyle provides no emotional safety net, only the means to facilitate a faster, more expensive self-destruction.
Waves (2019): (1:52:00-2:04:00)
To understand the film’s conclusion on wealth and satisfaction, one must examine a scene from the second half of Waves. Emily and Luke’s visit to his dying father in a rural, less-developed part of the state. This scene stands in stark contrast to the sterile, high-pressure environments of the first half. Here, the characters are away from the suburban competition of South Florida. When Emily and Luke sit by the water, the film suggests that true satisfaction is found only when one steps outside the binary of Florida’s wealth disparity. Emily’s growth throughout the film represents a post-wealth perspective. After the family’s social and financial reputation is shattered by Tyler’s actions, Emily is forced to navigate a world where the facade of the successful Florida family is gone. Her journey toward healing occurs not through regaining status, but through the extreme vulnerability that the capitalist drive for success previously prohibited. This scene reinforces the idea that the system of her upbringing was the true source of her family’s misery. Satisfaction is found in the quiet, non-commercialized spaces of Florida, away from the pressure to perform. The trajectory of the Williams family mirrors the economic data showing that Florida’s middle class has been steadily shrinking, with many households feeling "perpetually stuck" or vulnerable to sudden setbacks (RISEP 2). In Waves, wealth does not protect the family; it isolates them. Ronald Williams believes that by accumulating wealth and status, he can protect his children from the systemic racism and inequality of the outside world. However, the film argues that the method of this accumulation, the hyper-competitive, relentless pursuit of excellence, is what ultimately destroys his son.
Tyler’s downward spiral is a reaction to a system that offers no grace for the injured or the failing. In a state where the top 1% controls the narrative of success, the middle class lives in a state of "materialistic anxiety" (Rözer et al., 2021). Tyler’s violence is the ultimate expression of this dissatisfaction. He has realized that the dream he bought into is a lie, and no matter how many matches he wins or how nice his car is, he is still a cog in a machine that will replace him the moment he stops producing.
Waves utilizes its vibrant Florida setting to expose the decaying environment beneath the sunshine. It suggests that the state’s extreme wealth gap creates a culture where even those at the top are never truly safe or satisfied. Through the lens of the Williams family, Trey Edward Shults demonstrates that the American Dream specifically manifested in the high-stakes environment of Florida is a destructive cycle. The film reveals that wealth disparity first creates inequality, but then creates a secondary trap, particularly the dissatisfaction of the successful. Whether you are striving for wealth or struggling to keep it, the system demands a sacrifice of the self, empathy, and genuine connection, that no amount of money can ever repay. Only when people move past the pursuit of “holding onto” and toward the state of "being" do they find the possibility of healing. In the end, Waves is a warning that in a society defined by a "rising tide" of inequality, the only way to keep from drowning is to stop trying to swim to the top of the ladder and start reaching out for the hands of others.
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