Go Watch “The Whale”

Dax Philips

“The Whale” is a cinematic masterpiece.

Throughout the film, the central character’s physical, financial and emotional struggles are intertwined to create a compelling narrative which displays a window into the lives of people whose stories are seldom told. 

The film centers on Charlie (portrayed by Brendan Fraser), a morbidly obese college professor with a part-time caretaker, who is struck by a weight-induced near-death experience. His health and relationship with his estranged daughter become increasingly more difficult to handle as the movie progresses, forcing him and his caretaker to unpack the death of a shared loved one. 

The first evidence that someone seriously cooked here is director Darren Aronofsky’s decision to force the audience into the same room as Charlie for the duration of the movie. From the moment we meet Charlie, we never see the outside world again; we are forced into his life and surroundings. We feel exactly how he does, unable to experience anything but an insufferable environment. We are just as trapped in his depression as he is.

The film tackles topics like homophobia, religious trauma, family trauma and teen drug use, which are notoriously hard topics to capture, especially when only using five actors throughout the film (one of which is Sadie Sink, so there’s another reason to watch). Despite this, the movie is able to seamlessly capture so many different types of struggle; and of course, this makes it a difficult watch as some of its sensitive topics can hit you hard.

Because of these details, it is extremely difficult to pin down an all-encompassing message, but the film definitely focuses on empowering viewers to realize that they may have a life where they are able to appreciate their loved ones before it’s too late.