Reviews and Scores for the Film Whalefall | Survival Inside a Whale
This article first appeared on Gamefa. Gamefa: News, Reviews of Games, Cinema, Films and Series. Whalefall is a survival-genre film that has earned a favorable score from critics. Directed and produced by Brian Duffield, the thriller is a survival-focused work based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus.
The movie Whalefall is considered a work in the survival genre that has managed to get a good score from critics.
The movie Whalefall is an exciting and survival-oriented work directed and produced by Brian Duffield, based on the novel of the same name written by Daniel Kraus in 2023. The story is about a diver named Jay who goes to the depths of the ocean to find his father's remains, but in a horrific incident, he is swallowed alive by a sperm whale. He has only one hour to find a way to escape and survive this deadly situation before the oxygen runs out.
Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin are among the main actors of this film, and Elizabeth Shaw, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd also play roles in it. Combining suspense, danger and the fight for survival, Whalefall depicts a breathtaking experience in the unknown environment of the deep sea.
So far, 75 reviews have been published on the Rotten Tomatoes website for the movie Whalefall, and this work has managed to get a score of 76% from the critics. Meanwhile, on the Metacritic website, 25 reviews have been published for this movie, which has given it a score of 62 out of 100. In the following, you can see the opinion of the critics about this movie.
Critics' opinion about the movie Whalefall
Rotten Tomatoes: 75 reviews - 76% score
Metacritic: 25 reviews - 62 points out of 100
90/100 – Collider | Critic: Charlie Ridgely
Whalefall has a lot going for it: it's scary, it's surprising, it's moving, it feels a little emotional, it's incredibly honest, and it sticks in the mind. Most of all, however, Whalefall is a confident film. This is the kind of confidence that assures you from the first moment of turning on the screen that you are facing a pleasant experience; The confidence that can turn an ordinary movie into a masterpiece that we will talk about for years and watch again and again.
The genre of survival thrillers and monster movies isn't dead, but Brian Duffield, the director of Whalefall, breathes new life into the genre by injecting it with grueling and enchanting moments, as if it has risen from the dead.
80/100 – IGN | Reviewer: Jim Vojvoda
The movie Whalefall takes the audience to an environment that is difficult to imagine, extremely confusing and terrifying; An environment that targets the human's instinctive fears of becoming a predator or prey. Despite its tangible and moving atmosphere, this film is ultimately a moving story about grief and the rift that can form between fathers and sons. Austin Abrams is the main pillar of this work with his exceptional performance and overwhelming commitment.
80/100 – Empire | Critic: Simon Crook
This movie is scary, exciting, daring and brutal. Taking place almost entirely in one location, this survival horror is a truly unique experience and the most surreal mainstream film in recent years.
80/100 – Slashfilm Critic: Jeremy Mattai
Whalefall is a suspenseful, moving and largely honest work; And we wouldn't want it any other way.
80/100 – TheWrap | Critic: William Bibiani
No sane person can believe the events of the movie Whalefall, but unreality is an integral part of the main idea of the movie; An idea that looks really wonderful and exciting. Brian Duffield sticks to this idea wholeheartedly, and that makes Whalefall a crazy ride.
75/100 – Slant Magazine | Critic: Rocco T. Thompson
The film bases its possible hypotheses on a foundation of reality to better support the poetic aspects of the story and ultimately reach an emotional climax.
67/100 – IndieWire | Critic: Alison Furman
Whalefall isn't always sure what it wants to add to our myths and perceptions of these creatures: Are we afraid of what whales might do to us, or ashamed of what we've done to them? The father-son drama of the film also has no answer to this question. However, Duffield adds something to the discussion that is worth independent consideration; Even if it is about a man who is actually trapped inside the belly of a whale.
50/100 – The A.V. Club | Critic: Jacob Oller
No matter how well Whalefall portrays the eerie vastness of the deep sea or the majesty of the story's central monster; Because the film prefers to deal with the most clichéd and familiar problems of father-son relationship at every opportunity. This approach not only makes the strange idea of the film not believable, but drags it to the bottom of the sea.
40/100 – Screen Rant | Reviewer: Liz Declan
Whalefall is not a complete failure. Fans of survival movies who just want to see a man struggle to escape from the belly of a whale will be in for some seriously jaw-dropping moments and thrills worthy of the big screen. However, in the end, the amount of believability that the film demands from the audience is not proportionate to its disappointing story.
40/100 – The Hollywood Reporter | Critic: David Rooney
For most of the film, Abrams has to play the role of a character caught in a very difficult situation and with a combination of suffering and fatigue, constantly moans and pants; While his body gradually suffers more damage and becomes more worn out. Whalefall basically feels like visual torture out of a National Geographic documentary, but that's still better than the film's detour into some overly sweet, sentimental grief therapy.
40/100 – Variety | Critic: Owen Gilberman
Brian Duffield's film adaptation of the story is an over-literal work and an example of over-the-top popular entertainment in the thriller genre that produces many unwanted laughs.