Whalefall, the survival thriller about a man swallowed by a whale, fails to make a splash despite some scenes of claustrophobic terror, according to a new review. The film, directed by Brian Duffield, stars Austin Abrams as Jay, a young man who enters the ocean to find his father's remains and ends up inside a sperm whale with only one hour of oxygen left.
Swallowed by a whale
The premise, which turned heads when the first trailer dropped, sees Jay become ensnared by a squid that is fast becoming a sperm whale's dinner. Finding himself in the belly of the whale, Jay races against time to find his way out.
The film layers in a tragic backstory, with flashbacks revealing Jay's strained relationship with his father (Josh Brolin), a local diver who was emotionally abusive towards him. Jay is reckoning with guilt over not being around when his father died, but the review notes the father-son drama is "very trite" and not convincing enough to justify the journey.
Thriller elements succeed
Where Duffield is more successful is in the thriller elements, constructing good tension out of the restrictive environment of the whale's belly. A blend of practical elements and CGI, plus attention to the sound mix, makes Jay's trials "suitably slimy and gross and tense," though sometimes difficult to make out.
The film also contains grisly moments, and the review notes that paired with last month's Resident Evil, 2026 is the unofficial year of movies in which Abrams has "A Very Bad Day."
Verdict
The review criticises the final third's pivot into whale spirituality as "a bit ridiculous," and says the film takes itself far too seriously, delivering a confused message without impactful catharsis. Despite Abrams proving his chops as an empathetic lead, and a charming buddying up with a jellyfish sidekick, those hoping for shlocky fun will be left wanting.
Whalefall is released in cinemas from October 16, 2026.
