Mailase and discomfort seem to be the main characters in the new movie Waiting for The Light to Change. A movie following a group of five twenty-somethings on a trip to a beach house somewhere in Michigan. Unfortunately, while that could have a lot of potential – the movie seems to bog itself down with trying to get to a point, it never quite finds it.
The movie is peppered with some scenes of lakeshores that truly could be anywhere and weird scenes where the group locks themselves inside a beachside shack and just sits in the dark. Coupled with long drawn-out scenes where they sit and stare listlessly off a pier, the movie seems to forget what the point of actually going to a beach house is, or what twenty-somethings do when they are on a trip together. It’s not just an occasional beer and sitting around moping the movie has, but actual interactions that the movie is missing – a connection between the characters, decent line delivery and a story that will motivate you to want to see more.
Waiting For The Light To Change will leave you wanting – and wondering if the writer has actually ever been to a beach house in Michigan, even in the off-season. While some tensions can arise, most locals know that if the tourist attractions aren’t open the bonfire pit, the beer, and the Euchre cards will fill the in-between hours. Instead, the movie feels as if the location, while specific, was picked at random without actually knowing much about the area at all or having never been to a beach house.
Yes, life is tough at all stages, and that twenty-something bubble where you’re an adult but feel like an adult is one of those moments. But as the movie drags out its slow story and plot, it relies on pushing one issue after another on the viewers – while not providing a reason to connect with the characters in the film. The potential for an actual story, and one that would be impactful got lost in the attempt to make a point that just never seems to manifest.
Waiting For The Light To Change will be released on Digital on Demand on October 20th.
Overall Rating:
About Waiting for the Light to Change:
WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE takes place over the course of a week-long beachside getaway. Set over several days in and around a lake house in Michigan, the film follows five twenty-somethings who gather for a small getaway in the early spring. But with little to do in the small, lakeside town, everyone finds themselves dealing with the sort of malaise that happens in one’s early-to-mid twenties: growing older, establishing a career, finding a purpose in life, going over past regrets, and anxious about what the future might hold.
Directed by Linh Tran, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE was co-written by Lihn Tran, Jewells Santos, and Delia Van Praag. Producers are Jake Rotger, Jewells Santos, and Sam Straley. James Choi served as executive producer. The film’s cast includes Sam Straley (‘Jay’), who appeared in the Hulu series THE DROPOUT, and as a series regular on THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (ABC) and WELCOME TO FLATCH (Fox). Actors Eric Barrientos (‘Alex’), Qun Chi (‘Lin’), Joyce Ha (‘Kim’), and Jin Park (‘Amy’) round out the cast.