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Clayface
Film
FilmPG-132026
Whalefall
Directed by Brian Duffield
Following the death of his father, Jay Gardiner 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. From TMDB
590 reactions from 4 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy, TMDB reviews) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
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No Data
Sentiment labels for these sources are still being hand-checked; no score yet.
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 141 | 40 | 340 |
| Mastodon * | 5 | 4 | 50 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| TMDB reviews * | 3 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What people are saying
A written summary appears once the title has a score.
At a glance
Whalefall is a 2026 thriller film, directed by Brian Duffield, starring Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin and Elisabeth Shue.
- 493 people have posted about this film on Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy, TMDB reviews
- posts span Jun 9, 2026 to Nov 5, 2026
Assembled from TMDB, Wikidata and Steam fields and our own counts, nothing written by a model. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
590 public posts have mentioned Whalefall so far, but it needs 10 opinionated reactions from checked sources before it gets a score. Seen it? Post your take.
Critics, per Wikipedia
As of October 27, 2026, Whalefall has grossed $14.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $17.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $32 million. In the United States and Canada, Whalefall was released alongside Street Fighter, You Can See Everything, and Sense and Sensibility, and was projected to gross $10–12 million from 3,065 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $3 million on its first day, including $900,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to slightly underperform, debuting to $8 million and finishing in fourth. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 175 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 590 · most liked firstIf you go up to the box office and say "one adult for the movie where the whale eats a guy, please" they have to give it to you. There's no law that says you have to say Whalefall or whatever it's called.
positive · AI labelView post →I have thalassophobia (fear of large things underwater) but the silly kind where I’m obsessed with seeking it out and I pretend that it’s a bit. Anyway the trailer for Whalefall came on before our movie and I remembered it is NOT a bit
neutral · AI labelView post →‘WHALEFALL’ debuts with 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows a scuba diver who gets swallowed by a sperm whale and only has 60 minutes to escape. Read our review: bit.ly/DFWhale
neutral · AI labelView post →New poster for ‘WHALEFALL’. The film follows a scuba diver who gets swallowed by a sperm whale and only has 60 minutes to escape. In theaters on October 16.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just trying to be the beefiest movie goer at Whalefall tonight
neutral · AI labelView post →Traveled 300 miles to see Whalefall but it was sold out. Oh well, found these guys here and they wanted to see some movie about fighting in streets
neutral · AI labelView post →Austin Abrams continues his impressive streak in ‘WHALEFALL’, selling the pure horror of getting swallowed alive by a giant whale to the fullest. Find out more in our review... discussingfilm.net/2026/10/14/w...
neutral · AI labelView post →Images from the WHALEFALL (film) press tour, London > NYC > LA
neutral · AI labelView post →Ooof Whalefall. I was not prepared. Going to be pondering (and sobbing) about this movie for a long time.
positive · AI labelView post →When the trailer for WHALEFALL dropped, I recalled the story of Michael Packard, who did *actually* get trapped inside a whale in 2021 So I called him with 2 questions: Does he have PTSD? And if not, would he want to come see this movie with me? My latest on a living Jonah & the power of stories:
neutral · AI labelView post →It's so interesting that people keep making "she's a whale" comments on my WHALEFALL junket clips. Y'all know what happens in that movie, right? I will fucking eat you.
positive · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL was one of the worst books I've read and I will not be seeing the movie but I do kinda want the $50, 65oz whale popcorn bucket
negative · AI labelView post →I'm afraid enough of the water that WHALEFALL made me have kind of a panic attack. Now that'sa spicy movie!
positive · AI labelView post →go see Whalefall if you want to see the goopiest movie of the last twenty years
positive · AI labelView post →‘WHALEFALL’ sees a scuba diver trapped in a sperm whale's tummy, but is it worth trying to see him escape? Find out in our review… discussingfilm.net/2026/10/14/w...
neutral · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL is a ferocious, terrifying, and touching watch with outstanding performances. This film had such a profound effect on me. One of my favorite films of 2026! Spoiler-Free Review of "Whalefall" in Theaters: An Emotional and Intense Ride! tvfanatic.blog/2026/10/18/s...
positive · AI labelView post →only a few more days until the "is Whalefall a horror movie?" discourse begins!
neutral · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL: Having not read the book yet, I didn’t realize it was a Cancer Dad movie, and I wish I hadn’t seen it in 4DX; it sucks to be in grief sobs while I’m being shaken around and having water splashed in my face. That stuff is very hard for me to watch. (1)
negative · AI labelView post →I love that a studio made a movie where a guy gets squished by nasty whale guts. I do not love that the movie in question is mostly about a mean dad Doing His Best. Me on Whalefall: www.avclub.com/whalefall-re...
neutral · AI labelView post →Watched Whalefall I can see some being disgusted with the production value of the inside of a whale and yet, the film is able to make the survival thriller elements work with it's good writing and use of grieving while having another strong performance from Austin Abrams
positive · AI labelView post →Episode 711: Inspired by WICKER, we discuss our top 5 unusual romances in film! Plus, we briefly discuss WHALEFALL, IRON BOY, MUSK and OTHER MOMMY! Watch: youtu.be/iSpJs7lqYzM Listen: linktr.ee/insessionfilm
neutral · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL is, by all accounts, a stunning achievement and a film like no other. Let's all go see it this weekend and celebrate horror heroes @danielkraus.com and @brianduffield.bsky.social! (Photo borrowed from Daniel's newsletter - love this pic!)
positive · AI labelView post →I am scared for the level of undersea hyperfixation WHALEFALL is going to unlock in @harmonycolangelo.bsky.social considering if she's not watching some insane martial arts movie at 9:30am, she's watching videos like this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3RK...
neutral · AI labelView post →I was looking at the trailer for Whalefall and does anyone got any movie recs for the most ryona’d dorky(ish) boy…. this is a good year for boy ryona me thinks
neutral · AI labelView post →"I’ve spackled a protective patina of irony onto the top of this review because Whalefall is, to its credit, almost goofily earnest in places. This is only nominally a movie about a man swallowed and half-digested by a whale."
neutral · AI labelView post →I kid you not. Whalefall is probably my favorite film of the year. Equal parts vast and claustrophobic with high tension; but more importantly a beautifully poignant story of grief, complicated father issues, and family. I could not recommend a movie more. Weeping and awe-struck by this film.
positive · AI labelView post →Movie review Whalefall 🐋 It’s bonkers, claustrophobic, ridiculous squeamish, and fun.
positive · AI labelView post →. @brianduffield.bsky.social’s #Whalefall isn’t solely a visceral survival film. It’s dealing w/ unresolved, suffocating & toxic grief caused by a father who has difficulty communicating unconditional love. Lost my dad 3 months ago & he was that to my brothers. I was a blubbering mess throughout
positive · AI labelView post →Striving to be scientifically accurate made everything so much worse for actor Austin Abrams. Director Brian Duffield’s new movie “Whalefall” takes you through the stomachs of a sperm whale, as a scuba diver gets accidentally swallowed with a giant squid. Footage courtesy of 20th Century Studios
neutral · AI labelView post →An Off Book episode with the two visionaries behind WHALEFALL. @danielkraus.com and director, Brian Duffield join me to talk fake guts and very real emotion in this marvel of a movie. All podcast places.
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the busiest movie week for me this year. YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING, WHALEFALL, YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER, THE DEVILS, STREET FIGHTER, and I'm interested in that MUSK documentary too. Something's gonna get dropped (probably MUSK). Yes, I'd rather see STREET FIGHTER over MUSK.
neutral · AI labelView post →I had a dream last night that the new Whalefall movie was secretly a comedy with animated characters and I was so upset I started writing an angry review and then I woke up.
neutral · AI labelView post →Does “Whalefall” look good? Absolutely not. Will I still see it? Absolutely yet. I haven’t been able to resist a movie about deep sea creatures eating people yet.
neutral · AI labelView post →Our #PictureOfTheWeek takes you inside the stomach of a sperm whale. In the new movie “Whalefall,” a scuba diver has a very bad day. He gets caught up in a battle between a giant squid and sperm whale, and accidentally gets swallowed. Images courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
neutral · AI labelView post →Seated for Whalefall which, as you can see, looks to be very popular at my theater.
neutral · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL but it looks a bit different this time. Decided to remake the poster for the film but with @jdvirushunter.bsky.social’s character with Olivia (a whale mermaid version of her I made) Vincent and that Squid he hates #vore #sizesky #giantess #whalefall
neutral · AI labelView post →Really enjoyed WHALEFALL. It was one of those movies with several points where I genuinely had no idea what the protagonist could do next. Great "All is lost" moment at the end of Act Two. Not sure if it replaces SPONTANEOUS as my favorite Brian Duffield movie, it's a powerful ride
positive · AI labelView post →Stephanie and I had an absolute blast at the sneak peek screening of WHALEFALL, and it was great to hear Brian Duffield discuss the film afterward. The movie is a nerve-shredding blast but also incredibly moving and heartfelt. Austin Abrams gives a tour de force performance.
positive · AI labelView post →You know what would make the Whalefall movie even better? If it had a movie tie-in song by someone like Eminem or Pitbull that played over the credits and has it's own music video, and one of the main lines in the song is the singer saying "IT'S A WHALEFALL!"
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm so fucking fake because I tried to read Whalefall & was bored by 2/3rds of the way into the book... & yet the way I'm gonna' be such a movie slut cheering Austin on when I see it, is appalling. I've never been more relieved to hear an actor did not read the book to prepare for a character.
positive · AI labelView post →In the New Movie 'Whalefall,' a Cetacean Swallows a Diver Whole. The Sperm Whale's Remarkable Anatomy and Feeding Habits Shape the Survival Thriller.
neutral · AI labelView post →The inimitable Katie Walsh (@katiewalshstx.bsky.social) joins me on the latest CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED podcast, to review the new releases STREET FIGHTER, WHALEFALL, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, THE SOCIAL RECKONING and TENZING! Listen up! She's brilliant! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
neutral · AI labelView post →Into BBC Broadcasting House to review The Cherry Orchard with Kristin Scott Thomas and Stephen Mangan, the movie Whalefall and the new novel from Elif Shafak. Front Row BBC Radio 4 7.15pm
neutral · AI labelView post →Whalefall is an extremely well made stupid film. It's the kind of Very Emotionally Profound Movie that makes me laugh. I lost it when the very silly hero befriended a jelly fish, a la Wilson from Castaway.
neutral · AI labelView post →Look, we need to buffer between WHALEFALL and PRIMETIME I GUESS this is an independent film
neutral · AI labelView post →I’ve been failed out of: American Beauty U-571 Go The Two Towers The 4th Wizarding Movie Tron: Legacy The Handmaiden OUaTiH Parasite Dune 2 The Eephus and today: Whalefall
negative · AI labelView post →At times, #Whalefall feels like a film starring Lillian Gish. Untramelled emotions, metaphors. Monotints. Thought a lot about my dad.
positive · AI labelView post →I reviewed WHALEFALL, which instilled in me a fear of the ocean that I never had before. Austin Abrams, your rein as Boy of the Moment is stronger than ever!! www.inverse.com/entertainmen...
positive · AI labelView post →Tickets acquired to see the Canadian premiere of "Whalefall" Oct. 14.
neutral · AI labelView post →New trailer for the film I was working on earlier in the year. Lots of my shots in this one! #whalefall https://youtu.be/Dw-5ZGapGTQ
positive · AI labelView post →Whalefall | Official Teaser | In Theaters October 16.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's double feature day for me. First film is gonna be Whalefall!
neutral · AI labelView post →Could this happen in real life? Flora talked to “Whalefall” director Brian Duffield and sperm whale researcher Shane Gero to find out. Listen now to our podcast episode “Could a whale swallow a human, ‘Whalefall’ style?” www.sciencefriday.com/segments/wha...
neutral · AI labelView post →Whalefall is not a monster movie. The whale is not a monster trying to eat you. The whale is an escape room. It’s basically Saw.
neutral · AI labelView post →I wanted to call this: “Whalefall May Be Hard to Swallow, But It’s an Emotional Krill Ride.” Anyway, my review of a film where Austin Abrams endures a gauntlet of non-stop body horror while processing his daddy issues - for the second time in two months! - is at @thewrap.com.
neutral · AI labelView post →Professor Joy Reidenburg was the academic consultant for new action thriller film "Whalefall", and that's some legit consulting-- she sure knows her cetacean anatomy! (As she posted on FB, the name of the rescue boat in the story is The Ride N'Berg!)
neutral · AI labelView post →WHALEFALL: I am so happy this movie exists and so sad it didn't work for me. Like, the fact that a "trapped in a whale" survival thriller is hitting theaters is wild? The production design of whale guts is wilder? But it lost me in the third act. A "just roll with it" movie I stopped rolling with.
neutral · AI labelView post →@tetzoo.bsky.social Have you seen the sperm whale popcorn bucket for the upcoming film Whalefall? Definitely a major development in the history of plastic whales.
neutral · AI labelView post →Whalefall | Official Trailer | In Theaters October 16.
neutral · AI labelView post →my favorite fish book has a movie now i’m gonna wrangle the brother into seeing it with me ᕙ( * •̀ ᗜ •́ * )ᕗ #whalefall #jaygardiner
positive · AI labelView post →
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