‘Whalefall’ Pulls You Under But Goes A Little Too Deep

As a survival thriller about a guy who gets swallowed by a whale, Whalefall is exactly what you’d expect, if not more, and, at the same time a little less.

Directed by Brian Duffield and co-written by Daniel Kraus, who wrote the novel it’s based on, the film follows Jay (Austin Abrams), son of a legendary local diver, who ventures into the ocean to find his late father’s remains when things take a horrifying turn.

Trapped inside a sperm whale with dwindling oxygen, Jay must draw on lessons from his father and grapple with the memories of their strained relationship to make it out alive.

It’s a wild premise, biblical even, but Whalefall is a wholly committed ride.

While there’s something deeply absurd about the idea on paper, it is nevertheless intriguing and the film wastes little time turning it into something genuinely terrifying. Unlocking new irrational nightmares with a heap of schmaltz, Whalefall knows exactly what it’s selling, and its conviction is easy to buy into.

Armed with a ticking clock and a good dose of deep sea horrors, Duffield steadily ratchets up the tension, making the absolute most of the claustrophobic setting, as things keep going wrong.

From a seriously squirm-worthy squid attack to a stomach acid swim and increasingly desperate escape attempts, the film serves up an impressively gnarly gauntlet of horrific set pieces.

The underwater world is striking, capturing the vast abyss as utterly indifferent to human survival. Its crushing depths and confines are integral to the horror, and Duffield utilises it well as he drags the audience under.

The sound design further heightens the dread, while the visual and practical effects make the film’s ridiculous conceit frighteningly tangible.

Abrams carries the film, further cementing himself as a rising star, one who seems to shine when he’s having the absolute worst time of his life.

His gut wrenching squeals are always a treat, but he gives Jay’s grief real weight too.

Still figuring his stuff out while grappling with his father’s death and their complicated history, Jay feels painfully human amid the increasingly outlandish ordeal.

Josh Brolin is solid as Jay’s father, a staunch, deeply flawed man whose love for his son is tangled up in his own failings.

Their relationship treads familiar father-son ground, but Brolin and Abrams just about compelling enough. And I guess, the fresh perspective here is that he’s a dad who really loves marine life?

For 127 Hours-esque film about a guy in a whale, there’s more depth than one would expect. Beneath the visceral horror, there’s a story about grief and rebirth, and while some of it hits, don’t expect it all to land.

As of course, the third act veers into a bit of strangely spiritual turn, beating you over the head with clumsy metaphors and painfully on-the-nose flashbacks. The emotional bluntness and sometimes overly earnest, unintentionally hilarious dialogue undercuts an otherwise affecting story, while some ever-so- convenient survival mechanics strain credibility.

Still, Whalefall is a fun, kooky and truly horrifying film that’s hard to look away from, even if it stumbles at times. For deep sea-horror enthusiasts, B-movie lovers and anyone willing to test their thallassophobia, you’ll get exactly what you’re after.

3/5

Whalefall is in cinemas now.