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WHALEFALL MOVIE REVIEW
Let’s get it out of the way right now: Whalefall is a movie about a guy who gets swallowed by a whale and has to figure out how to escape before his air runs out. Sounds like a Tubi original, right? But no, this is a wide theatrical release with big name stars, based on a well received novel. The story follows Jay (Austin Abrams) who is dealing with his father’s recent suicide by ocean (Josh Brolin). He and his family (Elisabeth Shue, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd) have gathered to say goodbye but it bothers Jay that there’s no body to bury. Dad was a bit of a difficult fellow with a contentious relationship with Jay, but he sure did love the ocean and before the sickness got him, to scuba dive in it. Jay decides to sneak out of the house early one morn, don the scuba gear, and see if he can find his pop’s remains under the sea. So, you know what happens next, and yes, it is difficult to swallow (I went there). As Jay watches the time on his oxygen slowly creep down, has to deal with a simultaneously swallowed very pissed off and dangerous giant squid, and think of what could possibly help him escape this situation, it’s his memories of dad that provide him the clues to engineer his survival. It’s these flashbacks that really keeps Whalefall afloat, at least that’s what Chris, Wright, Drew, and Frank thought. Check out their review to see if if the film rises to the surface or disappears into the murky black depths of the ocean.
DIRECTED BY: Brian Duffield
STARRING: Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, Emily Rudd
YOUR REVIEWERS
Christopher Lawrence Cox (Founder, Da Boss, Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad, Deliberations of Doom)
Born in the wilds of northern Virginia, Chris managed to put all of his survival skills to use and barely escaped with his life to Austin Texas in 1992 where ever since he’s dabbled in everything from plumber’s assistant to sandwich maker, from band to bar and theater management. An opportunity to see theatrical release films for free by becoming a critic on a local public access show called “The Reel Deal” turned into a full-time job when Chris and his friends decided to take it to the internet. They built the site Spill.com, adding multiple podcasts and animated features, to no small amount of success. During this time, a fortuitous friendship sprung up between Chris and young Brian Salisbury, who was also a local film critic, and they merged their forces of will, and their laundry list of ideas for shows, to eventually build this community of critics. While Brian eventually followed his heart to a new family, Chris continues on with a cast of colorful folks from all over the country (and a few others).
Wright Sulek (The Other Boss, Trash in the Can, Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, One Man’s Trash, Screener Squad)
Wright hails from the northern suburbs of Dallas, Texas. His passion for filmmaking brought him to Austin to study and make movies. Since then he’s had his hand in acting, writing, and directing his own short films with numerous like-minded film geeks he’s met along his journey. His newest interest has brought him into the podcasting world. He co-hosted a few different movie related podcasts such as ‘And Now This’ and ‘The Match Cut’. He currently co-hosts with longtime friend, Eric Samaniego, where they talk shop about the grimiest, trashiest, lost gems of movies on their show, ‘Trash in the Can’. Wright also guests and hosts reviews on Screener Squad and Highly Suspect Reviews as well as co-hosts Digital Noise with Chris Cox. As of 2024, Wright has now been inducted into the Austin Film Critics Association as well as co-owns the One of Us network with Chris Cox.
Frank Calvillo (Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad, What Ever Happened to Bette & Joan?, Hollywood Royalty)
Born and raised in South Texas, Frank currently lives in Austin and has been in love with movies ever since his father showed him some Three Stooges shorts when he was five years old. Today he loves all kinds of film, regardless of era, country, budget or genre. He believes every film has an audience and is at least one person’s favorite movie. After writing for Sight & Sound and Slackerwood, he now writes for Cinapse where his increasingly random taste in all flavors of cinema (from Rashomon to Mars Attacks!) continues to thrive. His ultimate goal is to write a script for his boyhood crush, Michelle Pfeiffer.
Drew Tinnin (Screener Squad, Highly Suspect Reviews, Deliberations of Doom)
Drew Tinnin is a Rondo Award nominated interviewer and critic who has worked at SiriusXM’s Fangoria Radio and Fangoria magazine in NYC, as well as the London-based Dazed Digital. Currently a regular contributor to the Dread Central Network, he’s excited to join up with some old friends and other film fans on One of Us as a new contributor to Screener Squad.
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