‘Whalefall’ Review: Austin Abrams is swallowed by a sperm whale in immersive survival drama

“Whalefall” is a survival drama about Jay Gardiner, a college student searching for his estranged father’s remains off the California coast when a sperm whale swallows him. With less than an hour of oxygen, Jay must find a way out while confronting memories of his troubled relationship with his father. The review praises the film’s immersive tension and Austin Abrams’s performance.

The reviewer says the effects make the whale’s interior feel convincing and credits director Brian Duffield with building suspense around a lone character. They find the third act less effective, say the 106-minute runtime could be shorter, and criticise the limited use of Elisabeth Shue as Jay’s mother. The film is rated PG-13 and receives three stars, with a recommendation to wait for streaming.