In theaters on October 16th is ‘Whalefall,’ which stars Austin Abrams (‘Resident Evil’) and is directed by Brian Duffield (‘No One Will Save You’).
The cast also includes Josh Brolin (‘The Dog Stars’), Elisabeth Shue (‘Leaving Las Vegas’), John Ortiz (‘Silver Linings Playbook’), Jane Levy (‘Don’t Breathe’) and Emily Rudd (‘Moonshot’).
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Initial Thoughts
Considered almost unfilmable due to its lonely predicament, Daniel Kraus’ 2023 survival thriller tome has nevertheless now been swum to screens by Brian Duffield, who worked with the novelist to adapt it.
Trouble is, while the pair have exploited the nifty concept of a young diver trapped inside a sperm whale to full effect, the family issue side of the movie is frustratingly basic, even given a veteran actor in the cast.
Script and Direction
As mentioned, director Duffield and novelist Kraus worked on the script together, and have made a few tweaks in the story’s journey from page to screen. The strength is in the scenes with less dialogue: Abrams’ Jay trying to figure out how to survive in the belly of a sperm whale. It’s when he’s flashing back to time with tough-as-nails diver father Mitt (Brolin) that the issues arrive. And we don’t just mean daddy issues.
Duffield does a solid job with his creative team bringing both the inside and the outside of the whale to life. It’s just a shame that everything else feels so basic and never matches the inventiveness of his last film, alien invasion horror thriller ‘No One Will Save You.’
Cast and Performances
The movie is very much carried by Abrams, who already proved he can handle lots of scenes effectively by himself in ‘Resident Evil.’ Here, he’s solid as the troubled Jay and is fine opposite Brolin, even if they’re both hampered by the script.
Everyone else might as well just be expositional or set dressing, but shout out to Buddy the jellyfish (okay, more built prop than cast member) who puts in some enlightening work.
Final Thoughts
Not a bad film by any means, ‘Whalefall’ (the title refers to a dead whale’s carcass falling to the ocean’s floor to become a habitat) is more a missed opportunity. More Whale Of A Try than WhaleFail.
‘Whalefall’ receives 69 out of 100.
What is the plot of ‘Whalefall’?
‘Whalefall’ follows a scuba diver who, while looking for his father’s remains, is swallowed by an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale and has just one hour to get out before his oxygen runs out.
Who is in the cast of ‘Whalefall’?
- Austin Abrams as Jay Gardiner
- Josh Brolin as Mitt Gardiner
- Elisabeth Shue as Zara Gardiner
- John Ortiz as Hewey
- Jane Levy as Eva Gardiner
- Emily Rudd as Nan Gardiner
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