“Whalefall,” a film adapted from Daniel Kraus’ 2023 novel, centers on Jay Gardiner, played by Austin Abrams, a college student searching underwater for the remains of his estranged father, Mitt. Josh Brolin plays Mitt, a cancer patient and scuba diver who died by suicide off the California coast.
Jay feels guilty that he left home and was absent during his father’s final moments. His attempt to find Mitt’s remains takes a dangerous turn when a sperm whale swallows him. With less than an hour of oxygen left in his tank, Jay must find a way out of the animal. The ordeal includes encounters with other swallowed creatures, among them a giant squid. Flashbacks revisit Jay and Mitt’s troubled relationship as the survival story unfolds.
The review credits Abrams with making Jay an appealing figure for audiences to support. It describes the film as a contest between an isolated young man and an overwhelming threat, with the actor’s performance providing much of its emotional weight.
Brian Duffield, who wrote and directed the 2023 alien thriller “No One Will Save You,” directs “Whalefall.” The review praises the production’s depiction of the whale’s interior, saying the combination of visual effects, practical effects and set design creates an immersive experience. It presents the film’s confined setting and suspense as central strengths.
The reviewer is less satisfied with the final stretch, which they say loses direction, and argues that the film could have been shorter. Elisabeth Shue plays Jay’s mother, but the review says her role is not used enough. Those reservations temper the overall recommendation: the reviewer calls the movie a thrilling survival drama and sees promise in Duffield’s work, while stopping short of calling it essential viewing. The review suggests the large-screen presentation suits the film and cautions that its peril and violent imagery may not appeal to all viewers.
The film is rated PG-13 for peril, violent content, bloody images, some strong language and thematic content. Its listed running time is 1 hour and 46 minutes. The source says it was in theaters at the time of publication on October 17, 2026.
