‘Whalefall’ Review: Austin Abrams Wrestles With Grief, Toxic Masculinity & Grotesque Whale Innards In Emotionally Gutsy Body Horror
In *Whalefall*, Austin Abrams plays Jay, a diver searching for his late father’s remains who is swallowed by a whale and must find a way out. The survival story uses this predicament to explore Jay’s grief and his troubled relationship with his father, while combining emotional drama with graphic body horror.
Directed by Brian Duffield and based on Daniel Kraus’s 2023 novel, the film gives Jay about an hour of oxygen to escape the whale. The review praises Abrams and Josh Brolin’s performances, the California coastline and underwater cinematography, and the practical effects depicting the whale’s stomach. It finds the father-son themes moving but sometimes melodramatic and heavy-handed.
- Austin Abrams faces a whale’s stomach and unresolved grief.
- The film blends survival drama with graphic body horror.
- The review praises the performances but finds some themes heavy-handed.
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Whalefall is a survival horror film based on Daniel Kraus’s 2023 novel. Austin Abrams plays Jay, a diver who searches the sea for his late father’s remains and is swallowed by a whale, leaving him with limited time to escape.
The story links Jay’s physical struggle to his grief and his difficult relationship with his father, played by Josh Brolin. It combines underwater suspense and graphic body horror with a family drama about loss and masculinity.