The Whale

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Brendan Fraser makes a return to the silver screen in A24’s The Whale. The Whale centers around an obese teacher who has become a hermit. When he realizes that he is dying, he makes an effort to reconnect to his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) in hopes of making amends to a relationship that may already be beyond repair.

What follows is The Good, The Bad, and The Spoilers of Violent Night.

The Good

The Whale is being hailed as a glorious return to Hollywood for Brendan Fraser, but it is worth noting that the acting in this movie is glorious across the board. Brendan Fraser does an amazing job portraying Charlie, the 400-pound English teacher, who is battling more inner demons than just his weight. Hong Chau plays Kim, who is Charlie’s caregiver and friend. In my opinion, Chau’s acting was the most well delivered. Her joys and struggles with Charlie, the pain of losing her brother, and the hurt she felt form being betrayed all felt so real. Charlie’s daughter Ellie is played by Sadie Sink who has one of the most impactful performances in the movie, and quite literally brought me close to tears in the last scene.

This film’s story really is about how trauma impacts everyone differently. We see 4 characters, each processing major traumas in their life in a different and unique way.

The Bad

The Whale is just under a 2-hour movie and at times the story felt sluggish. I understood that many of these slow moments are meant to highlight how difficult Charlie’s life has become, but there are some who will find these slow points boring and let it impact their overall view of the film.

My Overall Opinion

The Whale is a unique view of how our choices and tragic events can have monumental impacts on our lives and the lives of the ones around us.  Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and Hong Chau give award winning level of performances for helping the audience feel the pain their characters feel. That being said, I do not think this is a movie that people should rush to the theater to see. This is a great watch, but does not have to be on the big screen.

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