Pop CultureSCREENING ROOM

Two critics call Whalefall earnest, and the whale is not the problem

Both IndieWire and /Film praise Brian Duffield's adaptation of Daniel Kraus' novel, with Austin Abrams anchoring it; the emotional baggage is the catch.

On air: Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte on Late Night BBN
Published 10:39 PM ET, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Photo: Harald Krichel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · Pop Culture

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte on this story, from Late Night BBN at 10:39 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are /Film's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance

First reported by /Film: “Whalefall Review: Austin Abrams Anchors An Earnest Survival Thriller And Miraculous Adaptation”, with reporting from IndieWire.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 10:39 PM ET on Late Night BBN, by Chip Darnell and Dr. Nina Byte.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWhalefall opens with Austin Abrams swallowed by a whale, and IndieWire calls it exceptional underwater body horror, though the emotional baggage nearly sinks the premise.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorA man, a whale, and a lot of feelings. I love it, I've loved it for years, and I have not seen a single frame.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science Correspondent/Film says it is gripping, moving and earnest to a fault. So the whale is the only one in there holding it together.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorEarnest to a fault. Like a whale with a gym membership.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentMy pitch is Whalefall Two: The Digestion, told entirely from the whale's side, ninety minutes of stomach acid and regret.

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