This thing was rough. Setting aside the implausibility, Brian Duffield’s (Underwater, No One Will Save You) Whalefall still doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before. The imperfect father-son relationship. The conversations we had, and the ones we didn’t. The anger. The wishing we had one more day together. The regret. The guilt. Duffield uses an 80-foot, 60-ton sperm whale that swallows his lead character whole as the vessel for his story of life, loss, and redemption.
One year after his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin – The Dog Stars, Sicario), a deep sea diving legend turned cancer-ridden sufferer, commits suicide by sinking himself with weights attached to his body in an ocean bay, Jay (Austin Abrams – Resident Evil, The Starling Girl) makes the decision to gear up with his scuba suit and search the floor of where his father sank, hoping to find his father’s bone or some other remnant that can give closure for him, his mother Zara (Elizabeth Shue – Leaving Las Vegas, Hollow Man), and his two sisters who haven’t successfully reconciled with the fact that the tomb they visit at the graveyard is empty. Great premise…
You’ll probably cry, but should you? Director David Ayer (End of Watch, Harsh Times) reunites with Brad Pitt (
Much has been made of Ridley Scott’s (Prometheus, Robin Hood) films in the last decade or so as being a far cry from those earlier in his career. Highly anticipated, high-budget films such as 
Sometimes, sequels aren’t needed. They are often used as quick, easy cash grabs, more than anything else. I can’t fault those involved. I used to get frustrated about my favorite films getting unnecessary sequels, though not nearly as upset with remakes of my favorite movies. I now accept that sequels, remakes, reboots, and prequels will continue to exist as long as profits remain high. But that doesn’t mean the producers, directors, cast, etc., only need to go through the motions, pick up their paycheck, and call it a day before moving on to their next project. Gladiator II is a movie that didn’t need to be made and didn’t have the most original story. However, despite its lack of need and poor script, it is a captivating film, rich in action sequences, visuals, and sound. It’s not a film to seek out, though if you watch it, the best way to experience it is on as large a screen as possible with surround sound.
The best thing