Austin Abrams recently fought his way through Raccoon City and its infected monsters in Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, and now he has to fight to survive being swallowed alive by a sperm whale in Brian Duffield’s Whalefall. How much can an actor go through in just one month on the big screen? In all seriousness, Abrams is riding high off the success of Resident Evil, which has just cleared $200 million at the global box office, and Whalefall honestly has all of the ingredients to become a surprise hit. The trailers have all sold its terrifying premise of survival really well; it stars an actor from a recent hit, and the film’s director, Brian Duffield, has built up some goodwill with well-received films he’s written, such as 2017’s The Babysitter and a film that he helmed, the highly atmospheric science fiction horror movie, No One Will Save You. Now that the film’s social embargo has been lifted after screenings held by 20th Century Studios over the last week, it’s time to see whether Whalefall is a nail-biting tale of survival or a movie that should be swallowed up and left out at sea.
What Are The First Reactions Saying?
The first reactions to Whalefall have been very positive, with some saying it’s a “new claustrophobic classic” while others highlight it as an intense survival thriller that puts the audience through bone-crushing scenarios that they won’t soon forget. The CGI effects are said to absolutely deliver and only add to the escalating tension of Austin Abrams’ Jay Gardiner only having an hour to escape the belly of the whale. Despite the film delivering on obvious aspects of tension and suspense given its premise, the film also has a strong emotional core thanks to the father-and-son story at the heart of the narrative. Josh Brolin, portraying Jayy’s father Mitt, has received a few positive notices from the early reactions, but it’s Abrams who is said to carry much of the film on his back as another character in great peril. Some have said this is another example as to why he’s one of Hollywood’s best rising stars and that he brings humanity to the some of the film’s more shocking scenes of survival at all costs. You can check out some of the first reactions below!
What Is Whalefall About?
Written by Duffield and Daniel Kraus, Whalefall is based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Kraus and follows a scuba diver named Jay Gardiner (Abrams) who goes on a search for the remains of his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin), in the ocean and is swallowed alive by a sperm whale in the process. During this daunting test of his will to survive, Jay only has an hour to find a way to escape what could end up being his watery grave. The film also stars Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd.
The book’s premise was so intriguing ahead of its publication that Imagine Entertainment announced it had pre-emptively got the film rights for Whalefall in August 2023. Imagine Entertainment served as a production company on the film, while 20th Century Studios won a bidding war in 2024 for Kraus’ novel for distribution and subsequently hired Duffield to direct the project.
It’s certainly a crowded October with other high-profile releases, but Whalefall looks like it could sneak in a real surprise, and given the fact that the social embargo was lifted so far ahead of its release date, it shows that the studio has faith in its potential. Also, given Abrams’ recent success with Resident Evil, it’s likely they wanted to capitalize on his current appeal as well.
Whalefall hits screens on Oct. 16.
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