The ebb and flow of healing often mirrors the restless push and pull of ocean waves, unyielding, relentless. Netflix has set out on a journey to capture this delicate balance in journeys through trauma and recovery, especially when inflicted by great external harrows. Against a backdrop of vivid imagery and raw truth, it explores how psychedelic therapy might become the tide that carries them forward. Without simply metaphorising, In Waves and War brings a vivid reflection of courage riding the currents of reality.

Netflix has taken on a kaleidoscopic journey where courage meets new remedies to grief. Not your typical war story, but then again, healing rarely is.

In Waves and War is set to be premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2025, just ahead of Veterans Day, after following a successful run in film festivals and a theatrical release earlier in October. The documentary focuses on three Navy SEAL veterans wrestling with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and severe depression. Their path leads to psychedelic-assisted ibogaine therapy in Mexico, a treatment still not approved in the United States, offering new hope beyond conventional medicine.

The documentation intimately chronicles Marcus Capone, Matthew Roberts, and D.J. Shipley, decorated Navy SEALs sharing their arduous psychological battles. Directors Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen combine raw interviews, evocative animation by London’s Studio AKA, and expert insights to portray the veterans' psychedelic experiences and memories. Adding emotional depth, Bryce Dessner’s haunting score complements this thoughtfully crafted portrait of trauma, resilience, and transformation.

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As Netflix veers off its usual highway of entertainment, it takes a scenic detour through the psychedelic terrain. In Waves and War rides shotgun, proving that some stories refuse to be boxed in by genre.

Netflix’s acquisition of In Waves and War has signalled a strategic detour from its popular true crime catalog of documentaries toward socially conscious narratives about healing and mental health. While true the streamer's plethora of genres have successfully captured wide audiences, Netflix now ventures into empathetic stories that unpack trauma with nuance and artistry. In Waves and War is part of this evolving slate, embracing subjects that provoke thought and encourage healing conversations.

This documentary sits within an emerging genre spotlighting trauma and recovery through unconventional therapies. With In Waves and War, Netflix steps beyond pure entertainment, offering a courageous, respectful look at the struggles combat veterans face and the promising frontier of psychedelic medicine. It is a timely and necessary story about healing that refuses to offer easy answers but demands attention all the same.

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Will you be tuning in to In Waves and Water to submerge into the more healing aftermath of war? Let us know in the comments below.