Yeah, I’m not going into the ocean anytime soon.
Whalefall is the latest film from director Brian Duffield, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Daniel Kraus, author of the 2023 novel the film is based on. The film stars Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, and more. Going in, I was curious to check it out. The overall idea is both bizarre and intriguing. As somebody with a massive fear of the ocean, specifically sharks, – but also the unknown of it, all the creatures down there, and being out of my element and unable to walk or run – this seemed like the most horrifying premise you could possibly tell me. I was also excited because Austin Abrams has been on a roll since Weapons. He had Resident Evil just last month, and here we are, not even a month later, with another movie in theaters putting him in the middle of yet another distressful situation.
After the death of his father, college student and scuba diver Jay Gardiner ventures into the Pacific Ocean off California’s Central Coast to search for his father’s remains. During the dive, Jay is swallowed whole by an enormous sperm whale and is now trapped inside the animal with only an hour of oxygen remaining. He must find a way to escape while confronting painful memories of his complicated relationship with his father.
Full transparency, I have not read the novel this film is based on, so I went in as a fan of film, of Austin Abrams, and of Josh Brolin, curious to see if this film would make me uncomfortable. I’ll start off by saying that I enjoyed Whalefall. This isn’t the greatest film of the year, but it’s a solid flick that many people will enjoy, and it does all the things a film like this needs to do. It takes the simple premise of a guy being swallowed by a whale and adds layers I didn’t expect.
Like with any film, there are some gripes, but starting from the top, Austin Abrams is fantastic as Jay Gardiner. He creates a character you can get behind, and I was surprised that the relationship between him and his father, played by Josh Brolin, had more meat on the bone than I expected. At the beginning of the film, it’s the anniversary of his father’s death, and you immediately learn that Jay isn’t connected to his dad in the same way his sisters and mom are. The whole town has a connection to his father, too. It’s a small coastal town, and his father was a well-known scuba diver. Jay feels like he never lived up to his father’s expectations or got to connect with him in a deep and meaningful way.
Throughout the film, flashbacks showcase this relationship and highlight key moments where his father taught him the scuba skills Jay now has to use in these intense situations. They show that Josh Brolin’s character was a stern father with a very specific way of loving his son, which led to a lot of back and forth and left Jay not always feeling supported.
Once Jay gets inside the whale, the film becomes engaging. It’s a chamber piece for the majority of the runtime, with most of the story taking place inside the whale. It’s one thing to do a chamber piece in a house, a room, or a building, but here the space is far more confined, and the film does a good job of working within those constraints. I enjoyed how the filmmakers used that time to build tension, and Austin Abrams’ performance elevates the material.
What makes the film even more impactful is the great use of practical effects, particularly the actual stomachs he spends time inside. There’s behind-the-scenes footage and interviews where the filmmakers talk about building full-on stomachs for him to be inside, as well as footage of a massive whale head in a tank used for the sequences where he goes into the whale’s mouth. These practical sets give the film a real sense of authenticity. There’s a lot of suspension of disbelief required for a film like this, with certain moments where he probably should have died, but the filmmakers did what they could from a practical standpoint to make you feel like you’re there.
Even the CGI looks pretty good for the most part. There are a couple of moments where some of it looks a little cartoony, but the visuals are solid overall, and the heavy use of practical effects keeps the film from feeling that way.
While there are tense moments of Jay getting hurt and dealing with the various dangers of being inside a whale, amplified by great sound design, the film’s heart is in its flashbacks and how they relate to what’s happening in the present. Thematically, this is a film with a lot to say about the isolating nature of grief, and of the regret that comes with it.
As the film plays out, we learn that Jay’s father was sick before he passed, and Jay didn’t go to visit him. He didn’t want to connect with his father during those final days because he felt they never had that connection to begin with. There was resentment there, and now the anniversary of his father’s death is weighing on him. Knowing he didn’t make the effort to be there for his father when he was alive, he takes it upon himself to find his father’s remains for himself and his family.
Throughout this journey, as he relies on all the skills his father taught him, he starts to reconnect with his father in an almost metaphysical, spiritual way. This creates some interesting thematic elements around grief, how it’s handled, and what it takes to overcome those feelings and forgive yourself. Josh Brolin’s character is an asshole. He’s a stern father and isn’t the nicest guy, but there is love there, and I think some people will be able to relate to that element of the film.
If I had any gripes, there are a couple of stretches that feel a little long-winded. For all the positives I just mentioned, this is still largely about a dude stuck inside a whale’s stomach, and it could have been shortened a bit.
I also wish the film had done more with the mother and two sisters, who are introduced early on before Jay gets inside the whale. I can understand why it didn’t, but they mostly feel like they’re there to give the story a bookend, if you will, without adding much to it. That’s one of the film’s missed opportunities.
Ultimately, Whalefall is a touching film with more layers than I expected, though nothing that’s going to blow your mind on a narrative level. It’s an entertaining time, and I enjoyed myself watching it. It’s the kind of movie I could see myself revisiting and probably enjoying even more down the line.
It’s not a film I think is going to win awards, but it’s a good way to spend your time at the theater, especially on the big screen. If you can see it in Dolby, even better, because the sound design, alongside the effective, claustrophobic visuals, is a huge part of what makes this film work. Whalefall might not reinvent the wheel, but it delivers a tense and surprisingly touching experience that makes good use of its bizarre premise.
Rating: 7.5/10