Englouti, a survival thriller directed by Brian Duffield, will hit cinemas in France on October 14, 2026. Adapted from Daniel Kraus’s novel Whalefall, the film casts Austin Abrams as a diver swallowed by a sperm whale. A new French trailer reveals this countdown, with only an hour of oxygen to spare.
Off the coast of California, Jay Gardiner dives to recover his father’s remains, who had recently vanished. As he probes the seabed, the young man is swallowed by a colossal sperm whale. Trapped inside the creature and cut off from any outside help, he must improvise a way to break free before his air supply runs dry.
This razor-edge situation throws Jay back to the hard-won lessons of his father, played by Josh Brolin. The story ties the diver’s survival to an unresolved family history: if Jay hopes to emerge alive from this unfamiliar world, he must confront the memories and wounds left by their relationship.
Brian Duffield serves as director, producer and co-writer of the screenplay with Daniel Kraus, the author of the original novel. Published in 2023, Whalefall is being issued in France in paperback by Éditions Rivages to coincide with the film’s release. Daniel Kraus has since won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Angel Down.
Centered around Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin, the cast also features Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd. Abrams and Brolin reunite after Évanouis, Zach Cregger’s horror-thriller in which they both starred.
Produced by 20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment, Englouti centers on an unusual confined space and a countdown that feels brutally real. Brian Grazer, Brian Duffield, Jeb Brody and Allan Mandelbaum are producing the feature.
To extend the in-theater experience, check out the cinema releases for October, the films currently showing, and our selection of thrillers to see in cinemas.
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