My relationship with whales was perfectly healthy before Whalefall the movie. I admired them, they continued being magnificent somewhere in the ocean, and nobody suggested I experience their interior design. Then this film arrived and decided my love of marine life needed a practical examination.
I love the ocean, especially the strange, beautiful mystery of what lives far below the surface. Give me deep water, enormous creatures and the possibility of something we still do not understand, and you have my attention. I love reading Moby-Dick, too, so whales were always going to get me interested. Unfortunately, I am also claustrophobic. Excellent combination for this particular film.
The annoying thing is, I liked it. I really did. I just wish enjoying it had been a slightly more comfortable experience. There must be an easier way to appreciate somebody’s filmmaking than spending the whole time thinking, please give this man some space.
The story follows Jay, played by Austin Abrams, who goes diving off the California coast while searching for his late father’s remains. He ends up inside a sperm whale with a limited supply of oxygen. Yes, inside. The ocean has all that room, and this poor guy somehow gets the worst available accommodation. No windows, terrible ventilation and absolutely nobody answering reception.
That is enough about the story. I don’t want to explain every problem he faces, because watching him work through them is a big part of the experience. Besides, you deserve to discover your own discomfort. I shouldn’t have to do everything.
By the way, I wanted to keep watching. That is where the film worked for me. It made me uncomfortable without making me lose interest.
Austin Abrams deserves credit for that. If I hadn’t believed him, this could easily have become a film where I spent the whole time questioning the situation. Instead, I felt for him. He gives Jay the fear and vulnerability you need here, because honestly, a calm, confident action hero would have annoyed me. Mate, you are inside a whale. Being upset is a perfectly reasonable response.
There is also more going on with Jay and his father, played by Josh Brolin, than the survival setup first suggests. I liked having that emotional side to hold on to. I’ll leave the details alone, but the performances give the film something beyond an unusual place to get stuck.
. I liked that somebody took a chance on this idea and followed it through. Even if I would personally have suggested a version with considerably more breathing room.
And no, I haven’t stopped loving whales. They remain magnificent. I would still happily watch them, read about them and admire them from a sensible distance. Whalefall has simply helped me define “sensible” a little more carefully.
For anyone who enjoys an unusual survival thriller and isn’t bothered by tight spaces, this is a must-watch from me. I found it eerie, scary and difficult to watch at times, but I’m glad I watched it.
Alright enough, I’ll be returning to Moby-Dick now.
aKi Malik
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