20 Upcoming 2026 Movies You Don't Know About (But Should)
7. Whalefall
Whalefall is a new film based on Daniel Kraus' 2023 novel about a scuba diver, Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams), who goes searching for his father's (Josh Brolin) remains, only to end up swallowed by a sperm whale.
This leaves Jay with about an hour's worth of oxygen in his tank to find a way out of the creature, and in case you were wondering, yes, the majority of the novel is indeed set inside the stomach of a sperm whale.
Single location thrillers are a fun subgenre, because they so often serve as grand acting showcases for the central actor, while also requiring the filmmaker to get creative with how scenes are staged.
Considering the film is being directed by Brian Duffield, whose last film was the dialogue-free sci-fi horror romp No One Will Save You, he clearly knows a thing or two about working within restrictions.
Expect Whalefall to further cement Austin Abrams as one of the most interesting young actors working today, and in addition to Brolin, he'll also be joined by Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, and Jane Levy. Not inside the whale, though, presumably.