Review: Braking For Whales

Release date: April 24, 2020
Running time: 106 minutes
Starring:  Tom Felton, Tammin Sursok, Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Koechner

Braking For Whales follows a dysfunctional brother and sister who are forced to come to terms with each other and themselves over their recently deceased mother's final wish.  Their mother has a ridiculous request in her will for the two to carry out, forcing them to take a cross country trip to honor this odd last wish.  And this road trip will allow / force the two to see the country, spend time with each other, and confront deep issues in their past and present. 

Braking For Whales has a lot going for it.  Brandon Walker is played by Tom Felton, who does a great job as the older, more put together brother.  He is enjoyable in this role and I liked his performance and many aspects of his character.  And despite me not loving Star Walker's jokes, Tammin Sursok does a spirited job as Star and really puts her all into the film.  The two have good chemistry in the film, and their interactions are fun to watch.  And although these two are the main characters in the film, there are a couple really entertaining cameos that will bring a smile to your face.  Braking For Whales's story has plenty of ups and downs and visits a variety of locales.  And these locales are beautifully shot with some really wonderful scenery of the American heartland paired with some stellar music.  From emotional music that set the scene perfectly to great country songs that play during the road trip, the music is definitely a highlight of this film. 

However, and this is a big caveat, the main problem with Braking For Whales is with the humor.  It just didn't hit like I was hoping it would.  Star's jokes are outlandish, but I just didn't find a lot of them to be that funny.  And some of the character's outlandish antics, although designed to be funny, just didn't make me laugh like I expected I would.  The main character's have neuroses that could have been interesting, but they are often handled in a ridiculous manner, which later lead to quick turns to their characters during the film.  The characters both experience growth throughout this road trip, but it seems to be handled in a too convenient way.  And although it doesn't happen often, there are a couple scenes with some really bad CG.  But that being said, Braking For Whales has a lot going for it and includes some good messages and a satisfying ending.

Braking For Whales has good chemistry between the two leads, beautiful cinematography, and wonderful music in a road trip that despite having a few bumps has a satisfying conclusion.  

Rent it.