This is not a redux of the story of Jonah in the Bible; it’s suspension of disbelief in overdrive and notes on “How To Survive Being Consumed By A Whale!”
Maybe something to dissect as one considers acquiescing to the science of digestive fluid and how being inside a gargantuan sea creature will affect the human skin, body, and therefore mind. However, this isn’t a science-pandering adventure (though one could argue as such), as Whalefall delivers a claustrophobic, daring thriller thanks to another committed performance by Austin Abrams, despite some moments that splinter its momentum and hinder its overall presentation. Adapted from the 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus and directed by Brian Duffield, the unpleasant water film uses a contentious amount of cutting between past and present, which weakens its ability to keep audiences hooked on the perilous situation of being stuck inside a whale’s stomach. Maybe we were supposed to take a Discovery Channel lesson on the anatomy of a whale, but dang it, don’t sell us on the obvious and focus more on the laconic.
Much of the instruction comes from Mitt (Josh Brolin), who, as we’ve learned, dealt with mesothelioma in his last days and became increasingly disconnected from his son Jay (Abrams). Haranguing him over his choices and insults creates little tension or nuance, especially when Mitt says, “the ocean provides.” After his passing, by letting his life go by jumping into the sea, Jay seeks to find his body with an oxygen tank that’s filled with an hour’s worth and sets out to dive off the California coast. However, he gets caught in a skirmish between a squid and the whale; the squid pulls him into the whale’s body, and now it’s a fight-or-flight situation to escape.
Much like he did in the recent excellent Resident Evil earlier this year and Weapons, Abrams delivers an astonishing performance. Every expression is felt and fastidious, as he acts under his scuba equipment and mask. His ability to command the screen, given the absurdity and quixoticness of the circumstances, makes it almost too real to overlook, as he’s confined in a fear most folks know too well, scrambling in bile and trying not to get chewed up. Coupled with some great sound design and visual effects, the film could have banked solely on this documented fear and escape and held its own comfortably (even with a shorter runtime).
Alas, the story has to be permeated with the rough-around-the-edges father figure teaching his son the ways of the ocean that will dictate his life forever. The monotonous structure becomes a proclivity of sorts, undermining the tension and scares with another deciphering/speech on life’s calling in the waters. And despite Abrams giving a performance to extol, his character’s identity is still overall muted outside of the pep talks and limited interactions with the other members of the family. Only in the third act does the film seem to find its sentiment, when the possibility of his character not making it out, despite exhausting all possibilities, comes to fruition.
Whalefall is a fascinating feature that thrusts audiences into an unorthodox environment and taps into a common fear. Still, its narrative structure capsizes its ability to swallow the attention for the full 106-minute runtime. It’s worth a watch, but you’ve seen more enticing thrillers in other dire situations (i.e. Gravity, Crawl, The Descent, The Edge, and Buried).
