The Whale

Name: The Whale
Genre: Drama
Released: December 9, 2022
Duration: 117 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau, Huck Milner, Ryan Heinke, Sadie Sink

2022

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 57 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 158 Ratings

See All

7.4

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.4	Your Score
7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 158 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Whale (Trailer 2)

Now Playing: The Whale (Trailer 2)

Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: December 9, 2022 | Not Rated

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau, Huck Milner, Ryan Heinke, Sadie Sink, Samantha Morton, Sathya Sridharan, Ty Simpkins

Summary: A reclusive English teacher (Brendan Fraser) living with severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 117 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Abhishek Sharma

Mar 14, 2023

The cast’s commitment throughout The Whale allows Aronofsky to create a tearful experience. Read full review

Peter Travers

Dec 9, 2022

Brendan Fraser is on the march to Oscar. That's how astonishing his acting is as a morbidly obese recluse in this deeply moving character study. Accusations that wearing a fatsuit diminishes his tour de force performances are nonsense. This is essential viewin Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Sep 5, 2022

Once everything finally collides in The Whale, something shattering and beautiful and honest emerges. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Dec 5, 2022

Here, in short, is a self-regarding drama of self-loathing: hardly the most appetizing prospect. If it proves nonetheless to be stirringly watchable, we have Brendan Fraser to thank. Read full review

Rex Reed

Dec 12, 2022

The Whale has moments that touch the heart and passages that engage the mind, but the insufferable parallels it constantly draws between Charlie’s obesity and Moby Dick, Charlie’s favorite book, may have worked better in the stage play by Samuel D. Hunter than they do in his screen adaptation, where they merely ring false and drag the pace to a crawl. Read full review

Jenny Nulf

Dec 19, 2022

Fraser often brings a warmth to Charlie that the film desperately needs, but his positivity is only an ember in a fire dying in the pouring rain. Read full review

Donald Clarke

Feb 2, 2023

The director of shockers such as Requiem for a Dream and Mother! has had his mainstream moments, but he has never before been quite so at home to tawdry soap opera. Read full review

SEE ALL 57 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Isteffy

Dec 16, 2022

Most of the negative reviews here are trying to paint this picture as fatphobic, or saying that it was inappropriate for someone to wear a fat suit. Please ignore these health-ignorant reviews and try to view this as the fine filmmaking it is.

Brendan does a fantastic job, and reallyMost of the negative reviews here are trying to paint this picture as fatphobic, or saying that it was inappropriate for someone to wear a fat suit. Please ignore these health-ignorant reviews and try to view this as the fine filmmaking it is.

Brendan does a fantastic job, and really reminds me why I loved him so much in his early movies. The movie is not your typical hollywood movie and most of it takes place in one room. This is a movie for those who appreciate good filmmaking and writing.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

DH58

Jan 16, 2023

This is one of the Best Movies that I have ever seen in my life. Brendan Fraser should win Best Actor and Sadie Sink should win Best Actress! It has several parts that will keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Watch out for a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. I hope youThis is one of the Best Movies that I have ever seen in my life. Brendan Fraser should win Best Actor and Sadie Sink should win Best Actress! It has several parts that will keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Watch out for a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. I hope you like my review of this movie!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

CalvinCrack

Dec 10, 2022

Great great movie. Brendan and all the other actors brought their A-game to this. Aranofsky and Libatique do a wonderful job of telling this story emotionally and visually, especially given the limited scope of setting. Most importantly I thought the film (/play) was well conceived andGreat great movie. Brendan and all the other actors brought their A-game to this. Aranofsky and Libatique do a wonderful job of telling this story emotionally and visually, especially given the limited scope of setting. Most importantly I thought the film (/play) was well conceived and written. It’s a very human tale about grief and addiction that I think anyone can relate to, even if they aren’t 600lbs.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

KatiKnitt

May 7, 2023

Depressing to sit through, but very interesting art movie with clear themes that could be talked about for a while.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

nnogohko

Jan 6, 2023

At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the character of Charlie at first but seeing him desperately trying to reconnect with his daughter won me over. Charlie constantly saying his daughter is amazing no matter how **** she treats him throughout this movie (with good reason of course) was veryAt first, I wasn't sure if I liked the character of Charlie at first but seeing him desperately trying to reconnect with his daughter won me over. Charlie constantly saying his daughter is amazing no matter how **** she treats him throughout this movie (with good reason of course) was very sympathetic. For Brendan Fraser's performance alone, The Whale is worth watching. However, I truly thought Hong Chau and Sadie Sink were also phenomenal in the film especially Sadie Sink who I think should be nominated for best supporting actress at the Oscars. The finale of this movie is absolutely heartwrenching and there is a line that Ellie says to Charlie that is just so heartbreaking towards the end I wasn't even able to cry since it was just so emotionally potent. I just kind of froze me. I think Ty Simpkins' character is the only character I think wasn't really necessary to the plot although he was great in the role. The movie is just under two hours but because of that story line the film feels a little dragged out sometimes. The prosthetic makeup on Brendan Fraser is also flawless.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Feb 18, 2023

Isolation. No self-esteem. Basically unable to move. Heading for death.

The Whale abuses drama to a level of emotional manipulation that I personally have always denounced, especially since so much of what this film initially offers is that one is simply supposed to feel sorry for BrendanIsolation. No self-esteem. Basically unable to move. Heading for death.

The Whale abuses drama to a level of emotional manipulation that I personally have always denounced, especially since so much of what this film initially offers is that one is simply supposed to feel sorry for Brendan Fraser's character, and even that might be a natural reaction in real life, it doesn't feel quite right, you know?
The whole concept of this tale is based on that, so there's a number of limitations in that plot.

We're watching a man who has completely abandoned himself, who knows his hours are numbered and who evidently no longer has any yearnings in this life except to resolve his last conflicts before dying all alone.

Brendan Fraser is tasked by Darren Aronofsky to carry the full weight of the drama and he, as you can see from the results, rose to the challenge, and dramatically speaking delivers the best role of his entire career.

Unfortunately, the film, based on a play, shows limitations caused by its unique location.
Between misery and agony, The Whale teeters a fine line between genuine emotion and what may seem like voyeurism from the viewer to see how far he falls as he annihilates himself.
It's not repulsive, but it's morbid and that point of the story, I cannot redeem it in any way.

Aronofsky shows nothing new. His habits are already well known, but the work is at least thorough.
The Whale is a slow film that builds itself from the ground up on the performances delivered by its actors.

And yes, Hong Chau and Sadie Sink's acting work should be mentioned, but this film is all Brendan Fraser.
The quest of his character for legacy and dignity isn't pretty and while it wasn't what I expected, I wasn't disappointed either.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

raporgi

Feb 22, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A vomit inducing hellscape into the misery obsessed hack director's disgusting fantasies. If you like watching a formerly handsome actor at his lowest this is the movie for you. Its another one of those loser movies that pops up every couple of years like "Jeff who lives at home", "C&ck" etc. Darren Arnofsky makes a movie about a enormously obese gay man who masturbates furiously to gay porn. Somehow he turns this floater into "Finding Forrester" for gay fat people. Darren needs to commit himself to an asylum or confine himself to a monastery to atone for his various crimes against cinema and the audience.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

SEE ALL 66 REVIEWS