Killer Whale

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2:08

Killer Whale

R

Jan 2026

1h 29m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

20%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

24%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Hold your breath as you witness revenge rise from the deep. After a life-shattering tragedy, Trish tries to comfort her best friend, Maddie, by taking her on a spectacular adventure in a private lagoon halfway across the world. Their peaceful retreat soon becomes a terrifying fight to stay alive when the ocean's most bloodthirsty predator seeks vengeance for a brutal life in captivity. Virginia Garner and Mel Jarnson star in a thrill ride of a movie that will leave you breathless.

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Critics Consensus

Larded up with too much blubber and not enough bite to justify the tedium, this disappointing survival thriller is beached upon arrival.

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Meagan Navarro

Bloody Disgusting

Jan 15

1.5/5

If you’ve seen 47 Meters Down or Lionsgate’s Fall, which also stars Virginia Gardner, this straightforward aquatic thriller adheres to the exact same formula with very little in the way of deviation.

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William Bibbiani

TheWrap

Jan 14

Almost nothing [Brechin] could do would spin this everyday hay into gold, but she can remind us why we keep hay around in the first place.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Feb 17

5/10

One knows what they are getting with Killer Whale, and what the film promises is precisely what it delivers – no more, no less.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Common Sense Media

Feb 7

1/5

After a slew of awful shark movies, this bloody B-movie tries to mix things up by using a whale; unfortunately, it doesn't make much difference.

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Joel Copling

Spectrum Culture

Jan 22

The incompetence on display in Killer Whale, an alleged thriller about surviving a potential orca attack, is occasionally breathtaking.

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Josh Bell

Crooked Marquee

Jan 20

C-

The actual attacks are brief, and the effects are unconvincing, but Brechin spends far more time on the maudlin reconciliation between the former besties.

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Kate M

@Gnome2 4d

Despite the very low budget, the craft and technical achievements should be commended. The central friendship drama and high stakes helps sustain the tension and suspense throughout. Orcas are technically the ocean's apex predator so a creature feature centering on one makes sense, and the filmmakers are clearly pointing the finger at human greed and keeping orcas in captivity as being a catalyst for disaster. Excellent performances, the actors really give it their all.

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Micaila F.

@Micaila Feb 15

Boring and ridiculous! It's like someone watched The Shallows while drunk and then recruited their friends to make a movie with a killer whale instead. Low budget disaster!

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chanelly

@chanelly Feb 4

Killer whales dont even kill people lol

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Wade D

@Jyrow Feb 1

The plot, writing, acting, story, special effects and director were all horrible in this movie. Every time I thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did!!! I can’t believe that a studio actually gave the thumbs up for this film to be released. They should be embarrassed. It is truly one of the worst films I’ve seen in years… Would not recommend watching even if it’s free. Don’t waste your time.

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Amado D

@Amado Jan 31

It's the most forgettable thing of the year that's just begun. The set design is incredibly poor, the plot is the same as other films that have done a much better job, and the acting is appalling. Virginia Gardner is wasted; her enormous talent is squandered on this character who lacks any emotion, along with her co-star. Furthermore, there are numerous convenient plot devices employed by the protagonists, and the orca's special effects are poorly executed. This is pure C-grade cinema, not worth watching even for entertainment. It's the most generic and boring film of the year; I can't find a single positive thing about it. Disappointing in every way.

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Thomas W

@Enigma0999 Jan 30

Slow burn at times and the ending is poor and boring. The whale should have eaten them easy.

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Jo-Anne Brechin

Director

Virginia Gardner

Maddie

Melanie Jarnson

Trish Stevens

Mitchell Hope

Josh

Isaac Crawley

Chad

Ron Smyck

Security Guard (Khwan)

Killer Whale: Exclusive Movie Clip - Slow and Steady

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Killer Whale: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Hold your breath as you witness revenge rise from the deep. After a life-shattering tragedy, Trish tries to comfort her best friend, Maddie, by taking her on a spectacular adventure in a private lagoon halfway across the world. Their peaceful retreat soon becomes a terrifying fight to stay alive when the ocean's most bloodthirsty predator seeks vengeance for a brutal life in captivity. Virginia Garner and Mel Jarnson star in a thrill ride of a movie that will leave you breathless.

Director: Jo-Anne Brechin
Producer: Steve Jaggi, Kylie Pascoe, Lionel Hicks
Screenwriter: Katharine E. McPhee, Jo-Anne Brechin
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: Jaggi Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 16, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 16, 2026
Runtime: 1h 29m

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