Short answer
Trey Edward Shults (born October 6, 1988, in Montgomery, Texas) wrote, directed, co produced and co edited Waves. His features are Krisha (2015), It Comes at Night (2017), Waves (2019) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025).
Films as director
Trey Edward Shults feature films
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Krisha | First feature. Stars his aunt Krisha Fairchild. Won the SXSW Grand Jury Award; A24 released it in 2016. |
| 2017 | It Comes at Night | A24 horror film. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Travis. |
| 2019 | Waves | A24. Premiered at Telluride on August 30, 2019. |
| 2025 | Hurry Up Tomorrow | Lionsgate, May 2025, with Abel Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. |
Source: Wikipedia, Trey Edward Shults.
How he started
Shults dropped out of business studies to work in film, made the short Mother and Son in 2010, and worked on three Terrence Malick films in 2011 and 2012 (Wikipedia).
His regular team
- Drew Daniels, cinematographer on Krisha, It Comes at Night and Waves. Shults calls him "my most important collaborator" (ASC).
- Kelvin Harrison Jr., in It Comes at Night and the lead of Waves; they recorded the Blu-ray commentary together.
- Krisha Fairchild, his aunt, lead of Krisha and a teacher in Waves.
- A24 released his first three features.
What carries over between his films
All three of his A24 films are family stories under strain, written by Shults himself. Waves is the one he calls his most autobiographical; see is Waves a true story?
Questions people ask
What other movies has the director of Waves made?
Krisha (2015), which won the SXSW Grand Jury Award; the A24 horror film It Comes at Night (2017); and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025), starring Abel Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, released by Lionsgate in May 2025.
Did Trey Edward Shults work with Terrence Malick?
Yes. In 2011 and 2012 he worked on three Malick films, The Tree of Life, Voyage of Time and Song to Song, in roles including film loader and intern.
Is Drew Daniels related to Trey Edward Shults?
Shults says "Drew is my brother" in the ASC interview, describing their bond; Daniels has shot all three of his first features.
Sources
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Streaming catalogs and listings change; check the service before you pay.