# We Are the Wave (2019)

> A mysterious classmate draws four idealistic German teens into a revolt against rising nationalism, and their movement takes a dark turn.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/79973

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 49 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Jan Berger, Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Luise Befort, Ludwig Simon, Michelle Barthel, Mohamed Issa, Daniel Friedl, Sarah Mahita, Kristin Alia Hunold, Milena Tscharntke
- TMDB rating: 6.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11053220/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tense, unsettling, sober, claustrophobic

## What critics say

Reception is mixed to negative, with viewers rating the six-episode limited series modestly while praising its tense, timely take on the rise of authoritarian movements.

## Synopsis

We Are the Wave (2019) is a German limited series created by Jan Berger, Dennis Gansel and Peter Thorwarth for Netflix. Rooted in youth drama and political thriller traditions, it follows idealistic high school student Lea Herst (Luise Befort) and her classmates, including Tristan Broch (Ludwig Simon), Rahim Hadad (Mohamed Issa) and Zazie (Michelle Barthel), as they are drawn into a revolt against a rising tide of nationalistic fervor led by a mysterious classmate. The engine of the story is the thrill of belonging to a cause that promises purpose and dignity, and the slow, escalating pressure of the group to conform and to act. Each episode tightens the grip of the movement, as friendships strain, families push back and the teens begin to test how far they will go for their shared vision. Told across six episodes of roughly fifty minutes each, the series builds as one continuous story in which order matters. Set in present day Germany, it unfolds in classrooms, homes and public streets rather than grand historical battlefields. The tone is tense, sober and unsettling, with a documentary-like realism that makes the drift toward extremism feel uncomfortably plausible. Fans of The Wave, Generation War and Der Turm will find resonance in its portrait of youth, ideology and the fragile line between conviction and coercion.

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