Review: ‘The Whale,’ Led by a Great Brendan Fraser, is one of the Most Powerful Films of 2022

Brendan Fraser delivers a triumphant comeback performance in Darren Aronofsky’s most recent feature “The Whale.” Samuel D. Hunter adapts his own award-winning play for the big screen, telling a devastating story about one man’s last shot at redemption. Aronofsky’s decade-long quest to produce the film has finally come to fruition in the form of a haunting drama that takes place entirely in one apartment in Idaho during the 2016 U.S. election. 

Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is a reclusive college professor who teaches online writing classes from the comfort of his couch and behind the façade of a broken laptop camera. He has no friends, apart from his nurse Liz (Hong Chau). The only visitors he gets are a pizza delivery guy and a Mormon missionary called Thomas (Ty Simpkins). Charlie’s obesity is causing detrimental damage to his health and his steadfast refusal to go to the hospital doesn’t help. However, when Liz tells him he’s at risk of heart failure, the grave reality of his situation dawns on Charlie. With only weeks, if not days left, he decides to attempt to reconnect with his daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink). 

Fraser Stands Out as one of 2022’s Best Performances

“The Whale” is fueled by sensational turns from the entire cast, but Brendan Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie stands out as one of the best performances of 2022. Fraser captures heart-breaking emotion in his performance, effortlessly bringing Charlie’s vulnerability to the screen. The various prosthetics Fraser dons to transform into Charlie elevates his performance to another level. He balances impactful emotion with an impressive physical performance. The film allows Fraser to deliver a career-best performance, which will hopefully garner him his first Oscar nomination.

“Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink appears alongside Fraser in the role of Ellie, Charlie’s estranged teenage daughter. Sink delivers a powerful performance that immediately lets audiences know how spiteful the 17-year-old highschooler can be, spitting venomous words taken from Hunter’s play. Hong Chau adds to her already impressive year, appearing in Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up” and Mark Mylod’s “The Menu.” She delivers a stunning performance, shining in every scene she’s in. 

“The Whale” is a stellar adaptation of Hunter’s play. It flawlessly brings the characters and the story to the screen through a layered, thematic script that forms the foundation for an impactful drama. The film balances emotions including guilt, shame, and anger, and themes like grief and religion. “Insidious” star Ty Simpkins, through a strong performance, embodies the film’s themes of religion by portraying a Mormon missionary. He tries to convert Charlie to Mormonism in order to ‘save him.’ However, as the film progresses it’s revealed that Charlie and Liz already have a connection to the religion, bringing up painful memories and opening old wounds. The film also weaves in references to the Herman Melville’s novel “Moby Dick.” It includes other marine-themed components — including the recurring sound of waves — taken directly from Hunter’s play. 

A Powerful, Hard Film

Oscar-nominee and long-time Aronofsky collaborator Matthew Libatique once again gets to show off his immense talent for creating stunning visuals. Libatique uses the fact that the film takes place entirely in one location (Charlie’s apartment) — except for one scene at the start — to craft stunning visuals that emphasises the isolation Charlie feels because he’s unable to leave his apartment. This puts the audience in his shoes. It allows them to feel the same isolation he does, only seeing other people when they come to visit. Libatique’s work compliments the other technical aspects of the film, from Andrew Weisblum’s editing to the remarkable special effects makeup, courtesy of Adrien Morot (“Barney’s Version”), that reinforces Fraser’s performance. Composer Rob Simonsen (“Foxcatcher”) produces a haunting score that excellently matches the film’s empathy and aching sadness. 

“The Whale” is a film led by an outstanding performance from Brendan Fraser and is bolstered by marvellous supporting turns from Sadie Sink, Hong Chau and Ty Simpkins. Darren Aronofsky directs a sensational adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play, and fingers crossed he directs Fraser to a very well-deserved Oscar nomination. This is by far one of 2022’s most powerful films, full to the brim with gut-wrenching emotion that will leave you teary eyed. “The Whale” sticks with you long after the credits have rolled, from the performances (especially Fraser’s and Sink’s) to the complex themes covered throughout the neat two-hour run-time. 

Currently, “The Whale” is only available to watch in select theaters. It will likely land on streaming late January or early February.