Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Whale

  • 2022
  • R
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
249K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,549
55
Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)
From director Darren Aronofsky and starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, and Hong Chau. THE WHALE -- Only In Theaters This December.
Play trailer1:51
18 Videos
99+ Photos
EpicPsychological DramaTragedyDrama

A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.

  • Director
    • Darren Aronofsky
  • Writer
    • Samuel D. Hunter
  • Stars
    • Brendan Fraser
    • Sadie Sink
    • Ty Simpkins
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    249K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,549
    55
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writer
      • Samuel D. Hunter
    • Stars
      • Brendan Fraser
      • Sadie Sink
      • Ty Simpkins
    • 1KUser reviews
    • 338Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 50 wins & 122 nominations total

    Videos18

    Get Tickets
    Trailer 1:51
    Get Tickets
    Official Trailer 2
    Trailer 1:51
    Official Trailer 2
    Official Trailer 2
    Trailer 1:51
    Official Trailer 2
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:04
    Official Trailer
    The Whale
    Trailer 1:51
    The Whale
    The Whale
    Trailer 1:04
    The Whale
    Oscars 2023 Best Supporting Actress Nominees
    Clip 1:00
    Oscars 2023 Best Supporting Actress Nominees

    Photos124

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 118
    View Poster

    Top cast12

    Edit
    Brendan Fraser
    Brendan Fraser
    • Charlie
    Sadie Sink
    Sadie Sink
    • Ellie
    Ty Simpkins
    Ty Simpkins
    • Thomas
    Hong Chau
    Hong Chau
    • Liz
    Samantha Morton
    Samantha Morton
    • Mary
    Sathya Sridharan
    Sathya Sridharan
    • Dan the Pizza Man
    Jacey Sink
    • Young Ellie
    Allison Altman
    • Young Mary
    • (uncredited)
    David Maire
    • Dan the Pizza Man's Shadow
    • (uncredited)
    Lance Oppenheim
    Lance Oppenheim
    • Julian
    • (uncredited)
    Grace Perkins
    • Maddie
    • (uncredited)
    Wilhelm Schalaudek
    Wilhelm Schalaudek
    • Liam
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writer
      • Samuel D. Hunter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1K

    7.6248.5K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    JohnDeSando

    Fraser will win Globes and Oscar--he's that good.

    See The Whale just to watch consummate actors, Branden Fraser and Sadie Sink, playing father and daughter, furiously catch up with each other after years of separation. Set in Charlie's apartment, just big enough for his morbidly huge body, The Whale is not only about the reconciliation of this odd couple and the survival of obese Charlie but rather about how obsession can consume faster than a greasy piece of pizza.

    Besides his abuse of food, Charlie refuses to let the Zoomed-in students see him in his rolling flesh. Yet, he is not self-centered or food-obsessed enough not to care about others, especially his flinty daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink, so much like a young Ellen Page), for whom he writes college essays (he teaches writing) and saves for her over $100K. His heart is as big, well, as his body.

    Writer Samuel D. Hunter (also author of the play) and director Darren Aronofsky move Charlie toward either reclamation or death; they remind us he did abandon normal life for a gay love, who eventually committed suicide, and over whom Charlie has not recovered. Good enough for Charlie to despair and abandon himself to food.

    Ellie's finishing high school is Charlie's other obsession, and whether or not they all can survive their confrontation is the abiding suspense. Pervading the drama is a sense of regret in almost every character except maybe the pizza delivery boy, Dan (Sathya Sridharan). Even Charlie's ex, Mary (excellent Samantha Morton), suffers the sorrows of their split family.

    Hong Chau, who has had a great year, if only for her role in Triangle of Sadness, plays the gritty Liz, a caretaker for Charlie and true friend, regretting Charlie's descent that allows no trips to the hospital and hides his money for his unstable daughter.

    The itinerant Jesus fan, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), is food for another essay but for now an effective emblem of the intricate characters supporting Charlie's journey. Herman Melville lends figurative richness to the proceedings. If I haven't convinced you of the gold in this small film about a big man, go see it to witness my prediction that Fraser will win Globes and Oscar.
    7ryanpersaud-59415

    Brendan Fraser's Performance Makes This Worth Watching

    TLDR: I liked The Whale, all things considered. This is a touching, sometimes difficult-to-watch, but frequently interesting and engaging movie, anchored by a stellar performance from Brendan Fraser. He really shines here. But, the movie is a bit too melodramatic and unsubtle for its own good, and can be a bit one-note, especially given it's runtime.

    The Good:

    1. Brendan Fraser. If a Best Actor win wasn't enough, let this lowly IMDB critic confirm it: Fraser is amazing in this movie. His performance isn't just "sad" and it isn't just him crying. He transforms into this character and expresses a pantheon of emotions; it's a truly remarkable and powerful performance that is worth the watch alone. Fraser's Charlie is a broken man, but a smart, kind, and fundamentally optimistic one. He's a complex and interesting character, and one I found myself really rooting for. Fiction is the ultimate empathy machine and while you don't have to love Charlie, I think it's fair to ask you understand him and where he's coming from.

    2. The rest of the cast (mostly). Hong Chau is great in this movie as Charlie, I also (mostly) liked Sadie Sink as Ellie. Sink's raw talent shines through, yet again, even if her character can be unbearable at times. Ty Simpkins rounds out the cast as Thomas, a missionary from an Evangelical church, and gives a pretty good, and likeable performance.

    3. The "stage play aesthetic." This film feels very much like a stage play, and I wasn't surprised to learn it was based on one. While some might decry its lacking cinematic quality, I actually really liked the confined setting, repeating stage play cues (i.e. The knock), and general pace of the movie. At points, I sort of felt I was watching a play, and I liked that quality of it.

    4. The philosophy (mostly). I think this film has a nice outlook and explores some big questions in an interesting, if sometimes melodramatic way. It's actually quite astonishing how much the film really ends up being about given its setting and subject matter, and while I don't think all the positions are satisfying, A for effort.

    5. The make up and set design. I feel like I could smell Charlie's house whilst watching this movie. Yes, the set is simple but it really feels like a place someone is living, as opposed to a set. Charlie...looks fantastic. The make-up and prosthetics truly transform Fraser.

    The Bad:

    • The philosophy. At the same time, I think this movie frequently veers into melodrama. Fraser's whole speech about um...college not mattering because what matters is (*checks papers*) that you can write a short sentence about yourself is what REALLY matters...was cringey, to say the least. The movie is extremely on the nose at times and sometimes feels like it's hand holding the audience. Aronofsky typically makes quite challenging movies, and I have to wonder if the studio insist he make this clearer and more straightforward.


    • One note. Another thing, and consider this a minor negative, but aside from a few moments of levity, this is an otherwise pretty miserable movie. I don't know, felt like given the run time, we could've used a bit more variety.


    • Sadie Sink and her Mom. I understand why Sink's Ellie acts the way she does, and I feel she is redeemed in the end, but OH MAN, is she one of the most irritating teens I've seen on screen in a while. Samantha Morton's Mary on the other hand...gave one of the most "play like" performances in the film, with even her voice sounding weirdly clearer and louder than others in the film. It's as if she's...on stage or something, and maybe it was intentional, but her scene just felt off to me for that reason.
    8chuckienoland

    Absolute gold...

    I got to screen this film for awards season purposes.

    It was very hard not to cry during several scenes.

    Branden Fraser is simply amazing. Under direction of Aronofsky it's probably the best dramatic film of the year.

    Fraser portrays the role to perfection. You feel sorrow for his character. The lady from Stranger Things that plays his daughter he is trying to reconnect with is going to be a huge star.

    There is nothing unlikable about this film. Fraser tugs at your heart strings with the struggles his character goes through.

    It's almost hard to watch at certain points in film; I had to take several breaks it's very emotional.

    Fraser is a very genuine guy in real life I have met him twice a decade apart and he was the same amazing guy.

    I hope this film does very well and ushers back a long awaited revival for Mr Fraser in Hollywood.

    Brilliant actor & film.

    10/10.
    8tresm87

    A welcome Whale of a comeback for the beloved Brendan Fraser.

    Let me start by saying I've been a fan of Fraser since seeing Encino Man as a kid and this guy will always be one of my favorites. To see him somehow thrown out of Hollywood/not casted for the most part for the past decade was very frustrating for me. It was about time someone gave him another chance which Aronofsky and A24 did and it proved successful mainly because of Brendan's dedicated and emotional performance.

    The film itself is quite less pretentious and more honest than most of A24 films to date . It also has more of a down to earth straight forward delivery than most of Aronofsky's perplexing work. Honestly with the subject matter it needed to be and relies mostly on pure emotion and struggle which is shown masterfully by Fraser.

    There have been a lot of preconceived outraged overreactions and ridiculous assumptions based on the fact that Fraser is wearing a fat suit/getting prosthetics to appear as a morbidly obese person. I don't see why this is a problem mainly due to the fact this is a film made to entertain and to do so sometimes you wear things or makeup to alter looks. It would be difficult to cast a real life person off the street and have them pour their real emotions out on screen. I don't see that being easy.

    Also this is so much deeper than the looks of Fraser in the film and that's the true intention and power of this piece. People must see this raw and moving performance from Brendan and it's sure to cause a stir. This is the due Renaissance and comeback for Mr. Fraser. Oscar should be coming his way.
    8isiparker

    Certain feelings at once

    Imagine that there was complete silence in the hall for 2 minutes after the end of the movie (The Whale). You don't come across something like that very often. Brendan Frazer, directed by Darren Aronofsky, gave an incredible, amazing performance. When you watching this movie, you felt certain feelings at once. Such films don't happen often, but when they do, they change the cinema for the better. This psychological drama about guilt, loss, and trauma is one of the best films of this year. I hope it wins all the awards it will be nominated for, most importantly in the best actor category ( Brendan Frazer). He will probably win.

    More like this

    Navalny
    7.7
    Navalny
    Women Talking
    6.9
    Women Talking
    Everything Everywhere All at Once
    7.8
    Everything Everywhere All at Once
    All Quiet on the Western Front
    7.8
    All Quiet on the Western Front
    Postcard from Earth
    7.5
    Postcard from Earth
    RRR
    7.8
    RRR
    Avatar: The Way of Water
    7.5
    Avatar: The Way of Water
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    6.6
    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    Mother!
    6.6
    Mother!
    Pi
    7.3
    Pi
    The Wrestler
    7.9
    The Wrestler
    The Fountain
    7.1
    The Fountain

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For the role, Brendan Fraser had to don a heavy prosthetic suit that he wore for hours. According to a piece in "Variety", he told members of the media in attendance at the Venice International Film Festival, "I developed muscles I did not know I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed. It was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice, that undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being."
    • Goofs
      Charlie nicks his skin when shaving, but the cut disappears in the next shots.
    • Quotes

      Charlie: Do you ever get the feeling that people are incapable of not caring?

    • Connections
      Featured in Projector @ LFF: The Whale (2022)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ24

    • How long is The Whale?Powered by Alexa
    • What is the movie based on?
    • Where is the movie take place?
    • When does the movie take place?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 21, 2022 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official A24
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La ballena
    • Filming locations
      • Newburgh, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • A24
      • Protozoa Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $17,463,630
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $332,152
      • Dec 11, 2022
    • Gross worldwide
      • $57,615,635
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    List
    Staff Picks: What to Watch This Month
    See our picks
    Production art
    List
    Theatrical Releases You Can Watch at Home
    See the list
    Editorial Image
    Photos
    Representation: LGBTQIA+ Characters On-Screen
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.