Actor Austin Abrams seems to have found his niche, playing scared, tense, and sometimes timid characters reacting to harrowing or highly stressful situations. Previous movies such as Weapons and Resident Evil show that a likable, talented actor can pull off both thrilling and comedic moments. In his latest role in Whalefall, Abrams gets to show not only his naturally funny side, but also a heartfelt, dramatic one. While Whalefall is a survival thriller flick, it is also a relationship drama at its core.
Abrams stars as Jay Gardiner, a young college student mourning the loss of his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin), with his mother (Elisabeth Shue) and his older sisters (Jane Levy, Emily Rudd). Though obviously saddened and distraught over his father’s untimely passing due to an illness, he is still coping with the strained relationship they previously had. Because Jay is more sensitive and meek than his rough-and-tumble, tough, stern father, Mitt, the two butt heads more often than not. Nevertheless, Jay becomes driven and determined to find his father’s body, which has probably sunk to the bottom of the ocean, as Mitt committed suicide before letting the illness take him.
While alive, Mitt Gardner trained as a skilled scuba diver and shared those skills with his son. Without notifying any friends or family, Jay dives into the ocean, near where his father plunged to his death. However, deep underwater, Jay is swallowed alive by a gargantuan sperm whale. Struggling to escape digestion, Jay has time to reflect on his life and relationship with his father, while also recalling his father’s strict teachings about diving, the ocean, and its marine life.
Written and directed by Brian Duffield, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Kraus (author of the novel on which this film is based), Whalefall is 106 minutes of intense stress and family drama, along with lamentation, sorrow, and survival, both physically and psychologically. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, but one that still touches the heart and can elicit an emotionally moving response. Daniel Krauss and Brian Duffield take this journey to a surreal, meditative place with mixed results. While this sequence has profound, earnest moments, it also gets a tad corny. Thankfully, the filmmakers don’t take it too far, though.
What keeps the movie grounded and genuine are the performances of the wonderful cast, particularly Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin. Both are exceptional at portraying a father and son who are constantly at odds and face life in very different ways. Abrams’s performance gives the story and his character the emotional weight needed to keep the movie earnest and the audience invested in his fate. Brolin has gotten very good at playing gruff, tough fathers and mentors. He isn’t a totally hateful character, but he often frustrates and irritates the audience because he’s too hard on the sensitive Jay Gardiner.
And even though this is an emotional and heartbreaking story, it is still a story about a diver being swallowed by a whale in the heart of the ocean. So it is definitely a visual spectacle that should be seen on a big screen in a theatrical setting. Duffield and his crew do outstanding work, immersing us not only in the ocean but also in the claustrophobic belly of the beast as Jay struggles to stay alive and escape. It is a movie I highly recommend, and it’s guaranteed to resonate with most people.