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Whalefall
Whalefall is based on the novel of the same name by author
Daniel Kraus. The film wastes no time diving into proceedings, as Jay reunites
with his mother and sisters about a year after his fathers’ death. Feeling guilt
and remorse for not being at his father’s side when he died, Jay vows to find
his fathers remains, and honour his legacy, in lieu of the empty coffin that
was buried in his honour. Telling no one where he’s going (first mistake), Jay
borrows his mum’s car, fills up his oxygen tank and heads for the water. Nearby
on the shore, Coast Guard officers are parked and deterring people from
entering the water due to an unknown incident. Jay sneakily gets by them, and
walks into the water with no hesitation.
The dive starts off well, as Jay is obviously very comfortable
and confident in this world. Navigating his way through towers of sea weed, and
a variety of fish, he reaches the edge of the shallow ground, and stares deep
into the abyss of a dark canyon. All is
quiet and peaceful, until an odd sound and ominous shape materialises from the
murky depths. It’s a squid, which is minding its own business, and Jay watches
on cautiously, and curiously. But the squid is not alone. A sperm whale comes
out of nowhere and hunts the squid, and Jay is caught in the middle of the
action.
Trying to swim out of the way, Jay is pulled into the chaos
by the squid that is fighting for its survival, lashing at the whale with its
tentacles, deciding that if it’s going down, it’s not going down alone. Jay
scrambles like mad to free himself, but the pull of the squid and the
determination of the whale to eat whatever is in its mouth, is too strong. Try as
hard as he might, Jay just can’t compete with the awesome power of nature when
large sea dwelling animals are looking for their next meal. He is pulled into
the whale’s mouth, and tumbles down his throat.
This is where the film jumps between moments where Jay is trapped
in the first chamber of the whale’s digestive system, and flashbacks to key
moments shared between himself and his dad Mitt (Josh Brolin). And these
moments don’t distract from the main reason we’re here to watch this film (man
stuck inside whale), and the drama is handled carefully, without dragging on
too long, because we need to get back to Jay and see how he’s going to get out
of the creature before he joins the squid in the digestive tracts below. This is
what I paid to see, and the film doesn’t disappoint. Using largely practical
affects, the inside of the whale is as dark, dank and manic as you can imagine,
with the stakes changing every few minutes.
If you’ve seen any of the footage online, you’ll know that
the squid that inadvertently pulled Jay into the whale, isn’t done with yet. As
the man and the squid are confined to the first chamber of the whales stomach,
the squid hangs on for dear life, and once it sees Jay has joined him, it
continues to try and devour him. This was definitely one of the most intense
scenes of the film (and there are many), as Jay is wrapped in tentacles, lashed
at, and has to fight off the beasts snapping beak. But with his will to survive
and a little luck, Jay manages to work through the obstacles, trying to
remember everything his dad said about the ocean, nature, diving and the harsh
reality of life under the waves.
The performances of Austin Abrams and Brolin are top notch,
and I wouldn’t be surprised if Brolin gets a nod for best supporting actor at
the next Oscars. He’s been nominated many times before and is well overdue for
a win at this stage in his career. He’s paid his dues and carries himself with
the skill and grace of an actor who has earnt his chops through pushing himself
and playing complex characters in complicated situations.
Abrams matches’ him scene for scene, and considering he is in
practically every scene of the film, he has to carry it and express a lot of
emotion with an oxygen breather in his mouth, while getting tossed around in
water and being slowly eaten by a whale. Surely the role of a lifetime for him,
and any actor who was lucky enough to be considered for the part. But Abrams
was definitely the right choice, and coming in hot off the success of the new “Resident
Evil” (still in theatres at the moment) and his breakout role in “Weapons” last
year, he is on the rise and will be one to watch. As long as he doesn’t get
type cast as the guy who keeps getting into dangerous situations against witches,
zombies and killer whales, he could portray almost any type of character with
his range and natural acting style.
If you’re like me, you’re going to see Whalefall for its
main premise which has been at the forefront of all the trailers and clips
doing the rounds online for the past three months. It’s something that hasn’t
been done in a film before, unless you count Pinocchio or any interpretation of
Jonah and the Whale, but as far as movie magic goes in 2026, you haven’t seen anything
like Whalefall. What you might not expect, is the dramatic focus of the film,
which relies on many flashbacks Jay has of his father, but then as the film
gets towards the end, it explores a concept that you may or may not believe. It
makes sense within the context of the story, but as I was watching it in the
theatre last night, I heard some mixed reactions, from a few chuckles to a “really?”
comment here and there but I dug it, and for me, the payoff worked.
I won’t spoil the reveal or the ending here, but I will say
that many cultures believe that whales are mystical creatures, with a special
connection to their environment, other ocean animals and people, that runs deep
on a spiritual level. For an animal so large, with little to no predators that
has been roaming the ocean for millions of years, who knows what secrets they
carry.
