Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Alasdair Stuart dives under the waves and into the whale(?!) with the trailer for Whalefall.

There’s a particular sub-genre of movies which terrify me in a very specific way. Primordial terror that just makes my lizard brain laugh a little too shrilly. Fall, and we’re getting the sequel to that shortly, is one. Gravity is another. Whalefall, released October 16th, is another.

Based on the 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus, Whalefall’s deliciously terrifying premise has Jay Gardiner (Weapons and the upcoming Resident Evil’s Austin Abrams) go in search of his father’s remains on the ocean floor. A gifted scuba diver but broken with grief, Jay is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Swallowed by a whale, he has an hour to break free.

Whalefall is adapted and directed by Brian Duffield, whose stunning No One Will Save You is essential viewing for any UFO enthusiasts. In addition to Abrams, the cast includes Josh Brolin as Mitt, Jay’s father and Elizabeth Shue as Zara, his mother. John Ortiz and Emily Rudd round the cast out.

Look at that trailer! Look at how carefully it gives us a single scene and look at how utterly terrifying it is. I can’t wait for this one even if I’ll be holding my breath the entire time.

Whalefall, the novel, is available now

The movie is released October 16th.