Killer Whale is a 2026 survival thriller film directed by Jo-Anne Brechin and co-written by Brechin and Katharine McPhee. The movie stars Virginia Gardner, Mel Jarnson, and Mitchell Hope in a tense, character-driven story set against the unforgiving power of the ocean. The film was released theatrically in the United States on January 16, 2026.
The story follows Maddie, a gifted cellist haunted by trauma after surviving a violent robbery that left her with permanent hearing loss and claimed the life of her close friend, Chad. Struggling with grief and guilt, Maddie relies on hearing aids while trying to rebuild her life. Hoping to help her heal, her best friend Trish—a PhD student researching gene editing and a popular social media influencer—plans a luxury getaway to Thailand.
During the trip, Trish urges Maddie to visit a local attraction featuring a captive orca named Ceto. Disturbed by the ethics of animal captivity, Maddie refuses. Later that night, Maddie, Trish, and an expatriate named Josh break into the water park after drinking heavily. What begins as reckless curiosity turns horrifying when an accident leads to Ceto killing a worker in the tank. In panic, the group flees, while park authorities secretly release the orca into the open sea.
The next day, the friends explore a remote lagoon surrounded by jagged rock formations, rumored by locals to be cursed. Their adventure becomes a nightmare when Ceto attacks, killing Josh and trapping Maddie and Trish on a barren islet with no food, no shelter, and limited hope of rescue. Injured, dehydrated, and hunted by a confused yet relentless predator, the women struggle to survive as days pass.
As desperation grows, buried secrets come to light. Trish confesses that she orchestrated the robbery that destroyed Maddie’s life, hoping to pay off her mounting debt—never intending for anyone to die. The revelation fractures their bond, but survival demands sacrifice. In a final act of loyalty and remorse, Trish distracts the orca long enough for Maddie to escape, paying with her life.
Alone, deaf, and exhausted, Maddie confronts both the ocean and the creature within it. In a final encounter, she wounds the orca and drifts helplessly until rescue arrives. Months later, Maddie returns to the stage, performing once more on her cello—stronger, scarred, and forever changed—before an audience marked by one painfully empty seat.
Killer Whale blends psychological survival, emotional drama, and creature-thriller intensity, delivering a haunting film about trauma, responsibility, and the thin line between victim and predator.
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