Hideo Kojima Reviews Survival Thriller Film Whalefall

Game designer Hideo Kojima shares his thoughts on Brian Duffield's recent survival thriller.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Science Fiction

A bioluminescent silhouette of a sperm whale glides through the dark, deep blue ocean abyss.
Game developer Hideo Kojima reviewed the survival thriller film 'Whalefall,' which follows a scuba diver trapped inside a sperm whale. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Video game creator Hideo Kojima shared a social media review of the film Whalefall, which centers on a diver swallowed by a sperm whale. Kojima noted that the film effectively discouraged him from eating squid after viewing it.

Why it matters

The review highlights the cross-disciplinary interest in realistic creature features between high-profile game developers and filmmakers. The film gained attention for its intense premise, where a character must escape a giant whale within an hour before their oxygen supply is depleted.

The film Whalefall features a 60-tonne, 80-foot sperm whale as a central antagonist. The plot hinges on a character having only one hour to escape the mammal before running out of oxygen.

The players

Hideo Kojima

He is a renowned Japanese video game designer and director who is currently working on the game project OD and an action espionage IP titled Physint.

Brian Duffield

He is the director of the film Whalefall who utilized biological research to guide the production of the thriller.

Austin Abrams

He is an actor who portrays the lead scuba diver character struggling to escape the sperm whale in the film.

Josh Brolin

He is a prominent actor known for numerous roles who portrays the father of the lead character in the film Whalefall.

The details

Director Brian Duffield ensured the film's biological accuracy by studying graphic autopsy footage of beached sperm whales. The movie features Austin Abrams as the trapped scuba diver and Josh Brolin as his father.

Timeline

  1. October 20, 2026: The article reporting these events was published.

  2. Last week: Hideo Kojima shared his thoughts on the film Resident Evil.

Industry Dynamics

Kojima's interest in cinematic storytelling continues to influence his own upcoming projects, including a movie adaptation of Death Stranding. This ongoing engagement mirrors his broader strategy to bridge the gap between interactive games and traditional film narrative structures.

Viewers can assess the film's commitment to biological realism through the performances of Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin. Kojima's endorsement serves as a signal for gaming fans to evaluate the film's narrative intensity.

The takeaway

Kojima's interest in the film underscores the importance of rigorous research in creating high-stakes survival narratives. Fans of the director can watch how these cinematic techniques influence his future titles like Physint.

Further reading

For more on the latest developments in genre film, visit the Science Fiction section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM.