A man gets swallowed by a sperm whale and has one hour to escape before running out of oxygen. How could you not want to see this film based on the premise alone?
I’ve been invested in Whalefall ever since I first heard about it, but with Austin Abrams starring alongside Josh Brolin, my excitement only grew. Directed by Brian Duffield, best known for No One Will Save You and writing Love and Monsters, the film adapts the novel of the same name into a survival thriller with an absolutely bonkers premise.
At its core, Whalefall follows a young man grieving the loss of his father, played by Brolin, whose journey takes a terrifying turn when he finds himself trapped inside a sperm whale. The emotional stakes are established early on, giving Abrams’ character plenty to grapple with. But honestly, I don’t think the film needs them. The reason people will show up is the same reason I did: they want to see a normal bloke get swallowed by a whale.
And when the film finally delivers on that promise, it’s genuinely gripping.
What surprised me most is how Duffield approaches the action. Rather than turning the experience into an overblown spectacle, he makes it feel disturbingly physical. When there’s no natural light, there’s no light. You feel every movement, every texture and every desperate attempt to survive. The camerawork is claustrophobic and occasionally gruesome, with extreme close-ups and restless handheld movements that make you feel trapped alongside Abrams.
It’s not necessarily a horror film, but Duffield crafts certain moments like jump scares, keeping you on edge as the situation becomes increasingly desperate. Honestly, the sequences inside the whale are some of the most impressive filmmaking I’ve seen this year. The combination of sound design, camerawork and sheer physical discomfort makes for an experience that’s difficult to look away from.
Abrams is also fantastic, carrying the film with a performance that feels increasingly desperate as the clock ticks down. He makes the absurdity of the premise feel surprisingly believable.
Unfortunately, Whalefall can’t quite resist getting in its own way. Just as the whale sequences begin gathering momentum, the film repeatedly pulls us back into its emotional storyline. The relationship between father and son provides a meaningful arc, and the conclusion is ultimately satisfying, but the constant interruptions become frustrating. I understand why Duffield wants to give this story emotional weight. However, sometimes a film should trust its premise and let the audience enjoy the ride.
I found myself wishing Whalefall would spend less time explaining its protagonist’s emotional journey and more time putting him through the most terrifying hour imaginable.
Whalefall is a frustrating film because, when it works, it’s genuinely exceptional. The filmmaking inside the whale is claustrophobic, inventive and deeply uncomfortable, while Abrams delivers a brilliant leading performance.
But the film’s insistence on balancing its survival thriller with a more conventional emotional drama occasionally undermines its strongest moments. I enjoyed the experience, and there’s plenty here to admire. I just wish Duffield had trusted the sheer madness of his premise a little more.
Sometimes, a man getting swallowed by a whale is more than enough.
