The Whale is not for everyone. I think few can really argue that it’s poorly made but many would be right in thinking that its tone, subject matters and how they’re handled will turn off certain people. I don’t have a lot in common with the film’s characters but I found The Whale to be an extraordinarily moving and well-written piece of drama. Had it been released in the UK a few months earlier, I would have put it in my Top 5 Best of 2022 list.

Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an English teacher who works remotely in his apartment. His food addiction has made him morbidly obese and nearing death. He chooses to spend his final days seeking forgiveness from his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink).

The Characters

If you don’t know, The Whale is an adaptation of a stage play and some critics have complained that the film feels no different than a recorded performance. While I can see where these critics are coming from, I have to disagree.

While the majority of it does take place in Charlie’s apartment, the film does a great job of making the apartment look interesting. What the characters are doing or going through clearly determines how the scene is shot.

Some scenes are shot very tightly and intimately, typically when they’re showing Charlie conversing with someone or in a physical struggle. Other scenes are more kinetic, usually when there’s multiple people in the apartment and a big discussion or argument is happening. The Whale knows how to hold your attention with the very little it has to show.

The characters feel very real, in that what they do and say isn’t always polite or kind. The writing does a great job of balancing a character’s positive and negative traits. There may be characters you like more than others but there’s not one you don’t understand.

Charlie’s carer Liz (Hong Chau) is a good example. She is very blunt and outspoken in her approach to people, which makes her appear unpleasant at times. She loves Charlie but doesn’t hold back in describing the dire state his health is in.

She’s especially aggressive towards Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a Christian missionary who becomes a regular visitor to Charlie’s apartment. Once again, Liz appears almost like a bully to Thomas but when we learn of her past with the Christian religion and how it’s affected her and her family, her attitude is almost justified.

Ellie is similar. Her resentment of Charlie is harder to watch than Liz’s distrust of Thomas as Charlie is the most empathetic of the cast. The film takes its time with developing Ellie. Initially she comes across as an irritable teenager, towards the middle of the film however we see that her parents’ divorce has had a profound effect on her and have informed her actions beyond Charlie’s apartment.

We learn that Charlie has made decisions that’ve hurt Ellie and his ex-wife but the reasons behind his decisions and current self-destructive behaviour are very understandable. What makes Charlie so endearing as a character is his awareness of his mistakes and willingness to correct them, despite the disinterest of those he has to reconcile with.

The Whale’s cast consists of damaged people. People who are greatly influenced by trauma and grief. This may make them unpalatable to some but sincerely human to others.

The Themes  

Contrary to what certain critics have written, The Whale isn’t really about representing fat people and obesity. It’s more about showcasing the consequences of depression and addiction, specifically food addiction.

Charlie’s body is not a result of genetics, medication, an inactive thyroid and especially not of self-esteem. It’s a result of guilt and apathy. He’s given up, he is ready to die as long as he knows he is redeemed in the eyes of those he’s hurt.

Charlie could’ve easily been written as an alcoholic or a heroin addict, his mindset is unfortunately a common one. What’s different is that his addiction is one many don’t even recognise as an addiction.

Redemption is a key theme in The Whale, it’s central to Charlie’s arc but he’s not the only character the theme relates to. Thomas’ role in the story is an interesting one. In some ways he’s an antagonist as he tries constantly to get everyone in Charlie’s apartment to convert to his faith and be redeemed spiritually. His reasons are pure but as we learn more about Liz and Charlie’s histories, we see that the church Thomas worships has a rather excluding interpretation of redemption.

Honesty is another key theme. We see that a primary cause for these characters’ traumas are their attempts at being something they’re not. I won’t go into details as that would entail spoilers but what makes the film so powerful is seeing these characters breaking the chains of what their families and peers want them to be and embracing who they really are.

I would put The Whale on my number 3 spot of the Best of 2022, bumping Nope to number 4 and Barbarian to 5. I know this may not be a popular opinion but it’s my honest one and as the film itself proclaims, being honest is what matters.

I give The Whale an outstanding 10 out of 10.