Austin Abrams in Dumb Underwater Survival Thriller
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Whalefall is a nature survival thriller about a college student, Jay Gardiner, trapped inside the stomach of a sperm whale with limited oxygen, as he battles a giant squid; the film blends claustrophobic terror with family drama.
- Directed by Brian Duffield and based on Daniel Kraus’s novel, the movie struggles to match the suspense of Duffield's previous work, No One Will Save You, partly due to confusing visuals and an overlong focus on Jay’s troubled relationship with his late father.
- The story explores Jay’s emotional journey dealing with his father’s death and their fraught relationship, but the heavy-handed grief therapy and sentimental dialogue dilute the film’s tension and impact.
- Despite slick effects and Austin Abrams’ committed performance, the whale’s internal environment is murky and hard to follow, and the film’s attempt to merge survival horror with spiritual themes falls flat.
- The title references the ecological phenomenon of a whale carcass nourishing marine life on the ocean floor, symbolizing the film’s intended—but ultimately unsuccessful—spiritual message about healing and nature’s power.
