Here’s my Whalefall review which is now playing in cinemas starring Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue and more and is directed by Brian Duffield for 20th Century Studios!
The film’s premise focuses on a young man named Jay Gardiner (Abrams) returning to his hometown to mourn the death of his father (Josh Brolin) eventually he goes looking for his father’s remains at sea when he is suddenly swallowed by a sperm whale. Now he needs to get out of his predicament before his oxygen supply runs out and he ends up sleeping with the fishes permanently.
Duffield did a wonderful job with the material and the cast, especially Abrams, who is making 2026 his year with his other film, Resident Evil, which is doing well with fans and critics alike. We have great drone shots and believable CG moments with the sperm whale and the giant squid. There’s also those tight shots inside the whale that will make you either gasp for air or hurl or just simply make you feel uneasy.
There’s a lot of drama here that makes the film compelling to watch. Sure, it’s going to be fun to watch a man try to escape the belly of a beast, but coat it up with some tension and unresolved issues with an overbearing father kind of makes you want to watch it more. Jay and his dad Mitt had a lot of unresolved issues that were never fixed, and getting swallowed up by a multi-ton underwater giant helped get some closure in some weird way. Plot wise the third act helps seal the catharsis for Jay for getting his closure and saying goodbye to his father. It’s just incredibly weird but still makes sense that he ends up treating like the whale was his dead father.
It feels like Abrams is sealing the deal with his career and acting style. For me, he’s peaked as an everyman thrust into very very dangerous situations. He thrives in problems and trying to get out of the situation.
The main pull for the film is the scenario of getting swallowed by the whale. Throughout the movie, we join the character as he tries to get out and fail and fail and fail. But that’s really what makes the film interesting for me. However I need to warn you that there’s a lot of very discomforting scenes here so if you’re scared of tight spaces as well as scared of big things aka megalophobia then this might be a tough ride. I’m usually not scared of those things but the film might have unlocked a new fear thanks to seeing the insides of the whale. It’s a very good and very convincing set design that they used for those bits.
Lastly I wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Whalefall in 4DX as it brings the tension and the chaos of Jay’s experience to a whole new level. Watching Whalefall in a 4DX cinema is really the safest way of experiencing what its like to be swallowed by a whale without actually going through the whole ordeal. So thank you 20th Century Studios Philippines for setting this screening.
So basically, Whalefall is as suspenseful as they come. It’s got a very interesting premise, surprisingly good levels of drama and a good cast led by Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin. Its definitely on the top tier list of my suspense films for 2026. It’s a scary ride but one that you pick up some important lessons.
9/10
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