There is a long-standing tradition in Hollywood of releasing "disposable" genre films in the mid-January graveyard, often referred to by seasoned cinephiles as the "January curse." This year, the aquatic horror sub-genre takes its turn with Killer Whale (2026). Directed and co-written by Jo-Anne Brechin alongside Katharine McPhee, the film is a production of Head Gear Films and Jaggi Entertainment. Distributed by Lionsgate, it swims into theaters and onto digital platforms today, January 16, 2026, aiming to capture the same "survival against all odds" magic that made previous seafaring thrillers a success.
The story follows Maddie (Virginia Gardner), a talented cellist whose life is derailed by a violent robbery that claims her boyfriend’s life and leaves her with permanent hearing damage. One year later, her best friend Trish (Mel Jarnson), a social media influencer and scientist, surprises her with a trip to Thailand. The goal is to reconnect and, specifically, to visit Maddie’s lifelong obsession: a captive orca named Ceto. However, the vacation takes a harrowing turn when they find themselves stranded in a remote lagoon with that very same orca, which has been released into the wild after years of abuse and is looking for a little payback against the human race.
Story and Screenplay: Familiar Waters and Logical Leaps
If you have seen the 2016 shark thriller The Shallows or the 2022 heights-driven Fall, you will likely experience a profound sense of déjà vu throughout Killer Whale. The screenplay by Brechin and McPhee adheres strictly to the survivalist handbook: a tragic prologue, a trip intended for healing, and an isolated location where the leads are marooned on a small patch of safety—in this case, a rock jutting out of a Thai lagoon. While the "formula" exists because it works, the script here struggles to bring any fresh perspective to the table.
The pacing is somewhat lopsided, spending a generous amount of time on the setup before finally getting to the "whale in the water" action. We are introduced to the central conflict through a series of coincidences that require a massive suspension of disbelief. The logistics of how a massive orca is transported from a water park to a specific, remote atoll without anyone noticing—all within a matter of hours—is hand-waved away with vague dialogue. Furthermore, the script introduces a mid-film revelation regarding the initial robbery that feels more like an artificial attempt to create drama between the two friends than a necessary plot development. While the themes of conservation and the trauma of animal captivity are noble, they often feel at odds with the film’s desire to be a blood-drenched slasher movie where the killer just happens to have fins.
Acting and Characters: A Solid Foundation in Shaky Ground
The true saving grace of Killer Whale is its central duo. Virginia Gardner, who is becoming something of a veteran in the "trapped with a friend" genre after her work in Fall, brings a raw, palpable sense of grief to Maddie. She sells the "Big Sad" of her character without making her feel like a caricature, and her physical performance during the survival sequences is committed and believable. She manages to make us care about Maddie’s internal journey from a broken musician to a survivor, even when the lines she is delivering are a bit on the nose.
Mel Jarnson provides excellent support as Trish. The chemistry between the two feels lived-in and authentic, which is vital since they spend the majority of the film sharing a very small space. Jarnson balances the influencer persona with a genuine, albeit sometimes misguided, desire to help her friend. While the script occasionally fails them by forcing unnecessary bickering into their dynamic, the actresses' commitment keeps the audience anchored. Mitchell Hope and Isaac Crawley round out the cast in roles that are essentially "whale fodder," but they serve their purpose in raising the stakes and providing the necessary early-film carnage.
Direction and Technical Aspects: Green Screens and Digital Fins
Jo-Anne Brechin shows a clear affinity for the B-movie aesthetic, imbuing the film with a sense of foreboding that works best in the "quiet before the storm" moments. However, the film is frequently hampered by its budgetary limitations. There is an undeniable "fakey" look to many of the outdoor sequences, where it is painfully obvious that the actors are performing in a tank against a green screen. The lack of wide shots to establish the geography of the lagoon makes the environment feel less like a vast, dangerous ocean and more like a controlled soundstage.
Then there is Ceto, the titular killer whale. While the CGI used for the orca isn’t the worst the genre has seen, it is inconsistent. At times, the creature looks majestic and terrifying; at others, it moves with the physics of a shark, darting in and out of frame like a masked killer in a hallway rather than a multi-ton mammal. The decision to give the orca almost cartoonishly expressive blue eyes was likely intended to foster empathy, but it often serves to further detach the creature from reality. When the film relies on digital blood and gore, the seams show even more clearly, which may pull more observant viewers out of the experience.
Trailer Killer Whale (2026)
Music and Atmosphere: The Sound of the Deep
One of the more successful elements of the production is the atmospheric work done by composer Angela Little. The score is appropriately menacing, using low, rumbling chords to signal Ceto’s presence beneath the surface. It does a lot of the heavy lifting in creating tension when the visuals aren’t quite up to the task. The sound design also deserves a mention, particularly in how it incorporates Maddie’s hearing loss. While I would have loved to see this disability utilized as a central tension-building device—similar to the film Hush—the muffled audio cues and ringing tones do provide a unique sensory layer to her perspective during the attacks.
The overall mood of the film is a strange cocktail of environmental documentary and exploitation flick. There is a "vague dread" that hangs over the lagoon, enhanced by the blazing, unforgiving Thai sun. When the film leans into the "B-movie" zest—the slo-mo swimming, the near-misses, and the sheer audacity of an angry whale tail-slapping waves at two women in bikinis—it finds a rhythmic energy that is genuinely fun. It’s a shame the film doesn’t lean into this self-aware silliness more often, as it frequently gets bogged down by taking its dramatic beats a bit too seriously.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Compelling Lead Performances: Virginia Gardner and Mel Jarnson are far better than the material requires, selling the friendship and the terror with total conviction.
- Empathetic Villain: Unlike many creature features, the film gives the "monster" a sympathetic back story, making Ceto a victim of human cruelty rather than just a mindless eater.
- Atmospheric Score: Angela Little’s music provides a much-needed layer of gravitas and suspense to the proceedings.
- Tense Moments: Despite the familiar tropes, there are several "close call" sequences that will have genre fans leaning forward.
Weaknesses:
- Unoriginal Plot: The movie borrows so heavily from The Shallows and Fall that it often feels like a checklist of previously seen ideas.
- Noticeable Visual Effects: The heavy reliance on green screen and sometimes-dodgy CGI orca movements breaks the immersion of the survival setting.
- Logic Gaps: The circumstances surrounding the whale's release and the girls' arrival at the lagoon are highly contrived and never adequately explained.
- Underutilized Subplots: Maddie’s hearing impairment and her connection to the orca are set up as major themes but are ultimately secondary to standard thriller tropes.
Final Verdict: A Serviceable Diversion for the Dedicated
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Killer Whale is a film that is clearly "serving its porpoise" as a mid-winter thriller. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it possess the technical mastery of the films it emulates, but it manages to tread water thanks to the sheer charisma of its leads. It is a somber meditation on the cruelty of animal captivity wrapped inside the skin of a familiar survival horror movie. While it won't replace Orca (1977) or Jaws in the hearts of aquatic horror fans, it offers enough "blood in the water" to satisfy those looking for a low-stakes thrill.
If you are a fan of Virginia Gardner’s previous work or you simply can’t get enough of "women vs. nature" survival stories, you will find enough to enjoy here to justify a rental. The central friendship is well-realized, and the film’s heart is in the right place regarding its conservation message. However, those who demand high-level logic in their scripts or state-of-the-art visual effects may find themselves frustrated by the film’s "B-movie" limitations. Ultimately, Killer Whale is an enervating but occasionally zesty ride that is best enjoyed with a high degree of forgiveness for its derivative nature.
Recommendation: This is a solid "lazy Saturday afternoon" watch. Stream it on a rainy day when you want a bit of suspense without needing to think too hard about the logistics.
 Movie Review: A Derivative but Empathetic Aquatic Thriller That Struggles to Surface Above Its Budgetary and Narrative Constraints){kind=link}
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