The Whale

"This is a very emotional drama and Brendan Fraser does a phenomenal job in the role of Charlie, an extremely obese single father who's trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter before he dies. This is a small movie, by that I mean there are only a few characters and most of the scenes, if not all, take place in Charlie's small apartment, but the impact that the writing and acting has on the viewer is huge. Be forewarned, this is a sad movie. Don't watch if you are easily depressed and don't make it the last thing you watch for the day. Maybe watch something upbeat afterwards for your own well being. But overall, a great movie. 9/10"

"It's a very emotional movie. The actors did so well portraying their roles. The only downside is that it is a slower movie."

"Before I start I want to say just like everyone on the internet I’m excited to see Brendan Fraser back and he was really good in this movie, I understand the reception to this performance, it was really good…but and it’s a big but…I did not like this story at all. I thought it was kind of a mess everyone except Brendan Fraser and Hong Chau (who had my favorite performance in the whole movie) lacked motivation, depth and worse yet nuance. All their interactions with the people and things around them was really strange and poorly thought out none of it felt authentic. Sadie Sinks character made no sense to me at all..her action where all comically cruel with no actually thought behind them which made for a painful watch. The topic of religion wasn’t explored that well either and was more cliché then thought provoking. There’s a lot more I can say but I’ll leave off on my last problem, the topic of obesity I don’t think they handled it as gracefully as they thought. A lot of it was very over the top and dehumanizing..but that’s all I’ll say. If you like this movie I’m happy you got something out of it I didn’t! I just can’t vibe. ✌🏻"

"Wow. I had a massive exhale when the credits rolled… This movie is difficult to watch but is made with care and empathy. ‘The Whale’ has been polarizing for audiences, being criticized by some for being “misery p*rn”. While I can understand that perspective, I think the movie is miserable for a reason. The pure sadness and hopelessness that Charlie feels really shines through and allowed me to understand why his character had gotten to that point in his life. As Brendan Fraser has explained in interviews, this film tells the story a type of person that is often forgot about in society. Their stories go untold. Darren Arnofsky is known for making films that are controversial and hard to watch (‘Mother’, ‘Requiem For a Dream’) and I think ‘The Whale’ is another success. I don’t recommend if you don’t care for depressing films. But if you can appreciate the occasional poignant, emotionally exhausting film, check this one out. "

"Very much like a play adapted for the screen. Conversation drama with intimations of Moby Dick. Very dark (literally) and very dark (figuratively). Live Melville? Worth a watch. Otherwise it will be a bit opaque."

"Wonderfully portrayed, difficult to watch. The acting is nothing short of the praise it gets, but the story overall wasn't my thing. I appreciate the sincerity in showing that stories of redemption don't always end in fairy tales."

"Beautiful and heartbreaking film. Brendan Fraser gave the performance of a lifetime and portrayed the raw emotions that his character had throughout the difficult moments in the movie"

"Brendan Fraser did a phenomenal job. "

"Incredible performance by Brendon Fraser, heartbreaking watching someone slowly killing himself while trying to give and make a life for an estranged and angry and bitterly miserable daughter. It’s that movie you only watch once but it’s also the one that you’ll never forget. "

"There's a huge lack of comedic relief in this depressing tale of a man eating himself to death. But if you can embrace the story for what it is, then you might find its rawness to some of life's hardest truths may actually be refreshing in the most ironic way; as not every good story will have a hero, a proper redemption, people that love him, nor the kind of conclusion that we would all hope for. Life is very dark and surreal sometimes. And a story like this is more real than some people realize. But even these stories deserve to be told."