Whalefall

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Whalefall

PG-13

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1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

Drama

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Popcornmeter

74%

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189 Reviews

81%

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1,000+ Verified Ratings

Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.

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Critics Consensus

Unforgettably visceral whenever it isn't getting mired in flashbacks, Whalefall's freaky concept requires suspension of disbelief that is rewarded with some of the most unusual set pieces the survival thriller genre has to offer.

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Audience Says

A thrilling story of survival, Whalefall swallows viewers into a physical and emotional endurance test, winding its way through grief, relief, and gratitude.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

3 days ago

I just don't know whether I believe that any of this could actually happen.

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Adam Nayman

Sight & Sound

4 days ago

Mostly, though, Whalefall has a stolid, workmanlike quality that permits more lapses in taste and tone than one might like, including a corny coda that undermines the book’s startling, exhilarating hard stop...

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Oct 19, 2026

3/4

The visual effects are beyond reproach, and Duffield stages a set piece — in which Jay accidentally (stupidly?) gets involved with the whale as it hunts its morning breakfast — with cruel, horrifying tenacity.

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Carlos Gallego

CinemasComics

10 hrs ago

4/5

Brian Duffield makes a film about a man trapped inside a sperm whale that's as emotionally powerful as it is terrifying. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Rob Dean

Bullz-Eye.com

1 day ago

4/5

With "Whalefall" it’s very much more the journey than the destination, and Duffield and company wisely make that journey an enthralling ordeal narratively, visually, and emotionally to fully engage with the audience.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

2 days ago

2.5/4

...an erratically-paced endeavor that gets off to a low-key start with nary a single clue as to where the narrative’s going...

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Scott

46 min ago

Excellent movie. Great story like nothing I’ve ever seen.

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Icarus

1 hr ago

A very beautiful and brutal film about grief and moving on. Will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

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CTBoone57

3 hrs ago

A tense and visceral survival thriller with a standout performance from rising star Austin Abrams!

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Jose Velasquez

6 hrs ago

Very emotional. Austin Abrams did a great job, as did Josh Brolin. Kudos to the set design on making the inside of the whale feel as claustrophobic as ever.

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Martha

9 hrs ago

Movie was great Learned how to not get swallowed by a whale! Hang tight to the wall ! & if happen to, how to escape! Thanks

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Andrew

14 hrs ago

Very emotional film. The flashbacks make the characters more relatable and make for a very heart wrenching experience.

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Brian Duffield

Director

Austin Abrams

Jay Gardiner

Josh Brolin

Mitt Gardiner

Elisabeth Shue

Zara Gardiner

John Ortiz

Hewey

Jane Levy

Eva Gardiner

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Whalefall: Movie Clip - Fighting the Squid

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Whalefall: Exclusive Movie Clip - Babies Crying

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Whalefall: Featurette - Father and Son Story

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Whalefall: Featurette - First Look

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Whalefall: Trailer 2

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Whalefall: Trailer 1

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Whalefall: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.

Director: Brian Duffield
Producer: Brian Grazer, Brian Duffield, Jeb Brody, Allan Mandelbaum
Screenwriter: Brian Duffield, Daniel Kraus
Distributor: 20th Century Studios
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Peril|Bloody Images|Thematic Content|Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2026, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.8M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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