Movie Review: ‘Whalefall’

The drama Whalefall follows a teenager named Jay Gardiner, played by Austin Abrams, who becomes trapped inside a whale while scuba diving. Kurt Jensen of the Catholic Review notes that while the film's premise has never been documented in real life, experts suggest the situation is barely possible.

The story begins with Jay's father, Mitt, played by Josh Brolin, a tour boat operator in Monterey, California. After receiving a terminal mesothelioma diagnosis, Mitt commits suicide by jumping into the ocean with weights. Following an empty-casket burial, Jay dives into the deep to search for remains of his father. During his search, Jay witnesses a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid. He becomes entangled in a tentacle and is swallowed by the whale along with the squid.

With only one hour of oxygen remaining in his tank, Jay must rely on his father's past life lessons to survive. Jensen describes the film as containing disturbing imagery.