Whalefall is directed by Brian (No One Will Save You/The Babysitter 2017) Duffield, who coscripted with Daniel Kraus, author of the bestselling novel of the same name, in what works as a modernization of Jonah and the Whale.
The variant centers on scuba diver Jay Gardiner, portrayed by the identifiable everyman, Austin (Resident Evil 2026) Abrams, who searches for his father (Josh Brolin)'s remains at sea, only to get himself consumed by an eighty-foot sperm whale. Jay only has an hour to live or else meets an oxygen-deprived demise within the beast's belly.
During his harrowing stay, Jay recalls the harsh lessons that his mean and sickly father taught him, and as upsetting as these interludes are, they hold the reflective favor to prompt the young man's perseverance. (For the record, Elisabeth Shue portrays Jay's mother, Zara. Jane Levy and Emily Rudd portray his sisters, Eva and Nan. John Ortiz portrays family friend, Huey. They fill their wraparounds with warmth and encouragement, working in contrast to Mitt's wafting severity.)
Jay's introspection is welcome, since the tale is, for the most part, a claustrophobic nightmare. This situates Whalefall as more of a Fantastic Voyage-meets-Evil Dead than Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea, Orca - the Killer Whale or Pinocchio 1940 (remember that nifty, whale segment?). In other words, though the story may be taken as a sea fable, it offers abject horror through its design, becoming a full-blown monster movie in the process.
It only goes to reason that Jay should escape his organic trap, but it's his struggle getting there that draws one in. In a purging way, that struggle is metaphoric, for it allows Jay to reconcile with his ethereal father, healing himself as the clock ticks.
Whalefall ascends because of its calibrated tension and pathos. These elements will secure it a strong fanbase, if not during its theatrical run, then down the line, where quality material has a fortuitous knack of being found.🐋
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