The Whale (2022)

The Whale is a stage play that never stops feeling like one: a single apartment, a revolving door of visitors and a lot of big speeches delivered at the couch. Darren Aronofsky boxes it in on purpose. The script also leans hard on misery, and some scenes feel built to pull tears rather than earn them. Then there’s Brendan Fraser, and every complaint gets quieter. He plays Charlie with so much warmth and hope that you feel all of it. Charlie keeps looking for the good in people, even when they give him almost nothing to work with. Hong Chau is excellent as Liz, a friend who is angry because she cares so much. Sadie Sink’s Ellie is written so harshly that she’s hard to watch, which is the point and also the problem. It made $57.6 million worldwide on a reported $3M. A 6.8 because Fraser gives everything and the script doesn’t always meet him there. $7,586 says you write one fully honest sentence to someone you love this week and actually send it.

What works: Brendan Fraser’s tender, hopeful performance and Hong Chau’s fierce, loving Liz carry the movie.

What doesn’t: The stagy single-room setup and a script that piles on misery make parts of it feel manipulative rather than earned.

Who it’s for: Viewers ready for a heavy, emotional character drama that plays like a filmed stage show.