Spoilers ahead.
I remember the first time I saw a whale off the coast of Bamfield, BC. Despite its size, it was graceful, almost elegant, rising to the ocean’s surface like it weighed nothing. I was in awe of how something so massive could look so peaceful. Then I watched Whalefall and saw Austin Abrams get swallowed whole by one. Needless to say, I won’t be looking at whales the same way for a while.
Directed by Brian Duffield, Whalefall follows Jay Gardiner (Abrams), a diver searching for his father’s remains who ends up fighting for his life inside a sperm whale.
The sound department absolutely crushed it. Between the bone-cracking and teeth-gritting bloody close-ups, I had to put my Fruitopia and popcorn down. Production designer Ramsey Avery also deserves his flowers for the practical effects. What do you mean this man made a whale’s stomach that moves? Combined with the bioluminescence illuminating Jay’s surroundings, the visuals made his predicament genuinely claustrophobic rather than looking like someone slapped a ring light inside a whale.
Unfortunately, the CGI orcas hunting the whale were a noticeable downgrade. I went from feeling the ocean’s pressure in my seat to wondering who got handed the keyboard in Adobe After Effects. Meanwhile, Jay’s hallucinations of his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin), communicating through the whale dragged on. The repeated use of “we” to describe Mitt and the whale as one left me more confused than entertained.
The larger problem is the film’s lack of emotional depth. Jay’s relationships with his family feel underdeveloped, while his conflict with Mitt lacks the childhood context needed to understand its impact. The epilogue also fails to deliver the final gut punch to the audience. After watching Jay endure an hour of aquatic torture, I wanted more emotional payoff.
I’m currently reading the book, and while the film has some of the most monstrous scenes, it still does not match the time the novel spends developing each character. The book gives Jay’s relationships pages to unfold, while the film barely gives them room to breathe. For a story so concerned with survival, its biggest weakness is what it fails to let live.
Whalefall is a grotesque, surprisingly beautiful survival story that occasionally gets lost in its own ambition. More people need to see it. If overcoming daddy issues and getting digested alive sounds like your idea of a good time, dive in.
Rating: 3.5/5
