The Whale (2022)

M
2022
|
117 mins
Trailer
Poster for The Whale (2022)

Brendan Fraser scored an Oscar in this A24 drama from Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) as a reclusive English teacher suffering from... More

Where to watch The Whale (2022)

The Whale (2022) is available to stream in New Zealand... More now on YouTube and Google TV and Apple TV Store and TVNZ+ and Academy On Demand and AroVision.

There is no screening information for this title.

The Whale (2022) | Ratings & Reviews

"Sometimes an actor can help minimise a director’s shortcomings, and that’s what Fraser does here."

Time MagazineTime Magazine

"Vapid, hammy and stagey..."

The GuardianThe Guardian

"Brendan Fraser deserves an Oscar for The Whale. He also deserves a better movie."

Rolling StoneRolling Stone

"Darren Aronofsky’s film is hampered by its contrivances."

VarietyVariety

"Hunter’s script and the intimacy of the actors’ work keep the melancholy drama grounded and credible."

Hollywood ReporterHollywood Reporter

"Piercing, compassionate..."

The TelegraphThe Telegraph

"(A) leering, shallow film."

Wall Street JournalWall Street Journal

"Indulgent voyeurism disguised as radical empathy."

PastePaste

"Stagy and mawkish."

IndependentIndependent

"The Brenaissance is here."

BBCBBC

"Brendan Fraser gives a one-of-a-kind performance..."

San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle

"Brendan Fraser is absolutely extraordinary..."

ABCABC

"It often feels clumsy and maddeningly inconsistent, stranding Fraser in a melodrama undeserving of his lovely, unshowy performance."

Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly

"With The Whale, Darren Aronofsky brings a hollow sense of dignity to his schematic brand of cinematic misery porn."

Slant MagazineSlant Magazine

"Fraser... takes what could be a joke, a flat tragedy, or even a lecture about weight and imbues it with gorgeous humanity."

New York PostNew York Post

"As a story, The Whale is compelling. As a film, The Whale is a tad shakier."

VoxVox

"For me, (Fraser's is) one of the most authentic performances I’ve ever seen on film."

IGNIGN

"An exquisitely soulful tale that avoids forgettable sentimentality."

USA TodayUSA Today

"It’s overwrought and also strangely insubstantial."

The New York TimesThe New York Times

"It's easier to root for Fraser and his much-lauded comeback than it is to actually connect with Aronofsky's inconsistent film."

A.V. ClubA.V. Club

"Fraser’s sentimental portrayal of Charlie is mesmerising..."

Film ThreatFilm Threat

"A story that’s all bald contrivances, technological as well as melodramatic."

Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times

"Without Brendan Fraser’s innate charm and ability to project gentle sadness through the slightest flicker of his huge blue eyes, The Whale wouldn’t have that much else going for it."

IndieWireIndieWire

"It is inorganic, gimmicky, manipulative, and its lessons are simplistic. As a character, Charlie remains mostly a body."

ColliderCollider

The Whale (2022) | Details

Award winner
Best Actor (Brendan Fraser) and Makeup and Hairstyling, Academy Awards 2023; Sorriso Diverso Venezia, Premio CinemaSarà, Leoncino d'Oro Agiscuola and Interfilm award-winner at Venice Film Festival 2022
Rating
M, Suicide themes, sexual material, drug use & offensive language
Runtime
117
Genre
Drama
Country of origin
USA

The Whale (2022) | Trailers