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The Whale

  • 20222022
  • RR
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3
2
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
Drama
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.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3
2
  • Director
    • Darren Aronofsky
  • Writer
    • Samuel D. Hunter(based on the play by)
  • Stars
    • Brendan Fraser
    • Sadie Sink
    • Ty Simpkins
  • Director
    • Darren Aronofsky
  • Writer
    • Samuel D. Hunter(based on the play by)
  • Stars
    • Brendan Fraser
    • Sadie Sink
    • Ty Simpkins
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 651User reviews
    • 263Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 42 wins & 113 nominations total

    Videos18

    Get Tickets
    Trailer 1:51
    Watch Get Tickets
    Official Trailer 2
    Trailer 1:51
    Watch Official Trailer 2
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:04
    Watch Official Trailer
    The Whale
    Trailer 1:51
    Watch The Whale
    The Whale
    Trailer 1:04
    Watch The Whale
    Oscars 2023 Best Supporting Actress Nominees
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Oscars 2023 Best Supporting Actress Nominees
    Sadie Sink Spills the Tea About All Things Strange & Wonderful
    Clip 2:59
    Watch Sadie Sink Spills the Tea About All Things Strange & Wonderful
    Brendan Fraser Breaks Down His Career from 'School Ties' to 'The Whale'
    Clip 6:34
    Watch Brendan Fraser Breaks Down His Career from 'School Ties' to 'The Whale'
    'The Whale' Cast Extended Interview
    Clip 6:49
    Watch 'The Whale' Cast Extended Interview
    Why 'The Whale' Makeup Had to Be Perfect for Brendan Fraser
    Clip 3:13
    Watch Why 'The Whale' Makeup Had to Be Perfect for Brendan Fraser
    2022 in Fifty Films
    Clip 3:25
    Watch 2022 in Fifty Films
    Oscars 2023: Our Predictions, Favorites, & Wildcard Picks
    Clip 4:20
    Watch Oscars 2023: Our Predictions, Favorites, & Wildcard Picks

    Photos116

    Hong Chau in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)
    Sadie Sink in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)
    Sadie Sink in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser, Darren Aronofsky, and Ty Simpkins in The Whale (2022)
    Darren Aronofsky and Matthew Libatique in The Whale (2022)
    Darren Aronofsky and Matthew Libatique in The Whale (2022)
    Ari Handel in The Whale (2022)
    Brendan Fraser at an event for The Whale (2022)

    Top cast

    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
    Wilhelm Schalaudek
    Wilhelm Schalaudek
    • Liam
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Darren Aronofsky
    • Writer
      • Samuel D. Hunter(based on the play by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Burning Questions With Sadie Sink

    Burning Questions With Sadie Sink

    The Whale and "Stranger Things" star Sadie Sink shares why she thinks Brendan Fraser's performance is likely to bring him the gold.
    Watch the Interview
    Image caption not available
    2:59

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Because of his character's severe weight, Brendan Fraser had to don a heavy prosthetic suit for the role that he wore for hours. He told members of the media in attendance at the Venice International Film Festival (via Variety), "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 [sense of] 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
      When Ellie is visiting her father and walking around the apartment; she has her left hand in her pocket. However, in the next immediate cut, the hand is out of the pocket and by her side. Then in the next immediate cut, the orientation changes again and it is back in her pocket.
    • Quotes

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

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

    User reviews651

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    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.
    helpful•431
    48
    • tresm87
    • Sep 10, 2022

    FAQ5

    • 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
      • $17,359,957
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $332,152
      • Dec 11, 2022
    • Gross worldwide
      • $50,744,800
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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

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