Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Whale’ (2022)

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Brendan Fraser as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky’s THE WHALE. (Photo Courtesy of A24.)

One particular theme/message that has shown up often in storytelling as of late, is the importance of confronting the dark parts of our past, and our traumas, and well… it makes sense as to why. Because over the past few years, our understanding of mental health has grown like never before, and we are all beginning to understand through that science, that the past and our pain, weighs heavy upon all of us. To the point where those dark moments and those traumatic bits, can influence our lives in ways we never thought possible. In fact, they can influence our decision making, hold us back in the process and of course… leave us with anxiety and PTSD and well, the only way to be free of that and to know real peace without thoughts of ugly days gone by, is to resolve those issues, and we are seeing this pop up so much in film and television because those are two supremely helpful mediums in getting that message out.
​
But while this push to inform and educate about such matters, has been refreshing, it does have some drawbacks. In that, a majority of these stories feature relatively happy endings, where people find peace and a better tomorrow the instant, they decide to tackle their pain… and well… that is simply not realistic. Because it all happens so fast in these stories, when in fact, the work to resolve such matters takes years in some cases and even then, there’s a learning curve that comes with living without the pain, and people need to know that. But what’s worse… is that the vast majority of these stories don’t explore the hardest truth of all. In that, not everyone embraces the way forward, and they can fall the wayside and endure a vastly different type of ending because of that choice. One that sees them continue to suffer and face some real hardships. But thankfully, we are starting to see more stories offer up a look at what can happen to us when we ignore the need for resolution, and perhaps the most impactful tale regarding such matters is the Darren Aronofsky film, The Whale.

For this is a story that introduces us to a man named Charlie who lives quite the unique life. Because while it seems as though Charlie’s work as a teacher of literature has given him a cushy lifestyle, complete with the ability to teach from home in a comfortable apartment, the fact of the matter is… Charlie is miserable. For he is severely overweight, and something of a genuine shut-in. Since he doesn’t interact with anyone outside of the pizza man, his students, and his nurse, Liz. But even then… those interactions are strange. Because Charlie won’t get his meals until the pizza guy has left, and he keeps his camera off when teaching. All because, Charlie is in fact, in a dark place, one filled to the brim with regret and pain, and shame, and well… to make matters worse, he’s also facing some grave health issues and that makes his relationship with Liz awkward since he doesn’t take her advice. Instead, he decides… that perhaps the time has come to address something that has been bothering him for ages. Specifically, his strained relationship with his daughter and the chance to do right by her, will drive Charlie hard to make peace with someone that means a lot to him… before his health gives way.

---

Sadie Sink as Ellie in Darren Aronofsky’s THE WHALE. (Photo Courtesy of Niko Tavernise/A24.)

Which at first glance… seems to be a plot engrained in redemption and healing, and there’s merit to that. Since reaching out to a loved one we’ve hurt and attempting to reconcile and make peace with them, is a tenet of those elements, and it is something we’ve seen stories that feature a brush with death, focus upon before. But truly, the devil is in the details regarding this story. Because the sour interactions between Charlie and Ellie (his daughter) and the moments we are privy to inside Charlie’s apartment… help us to quickly understand this is a powerful tale about a broken soul and a grand tragedy of a character. Because we come to learn that Charlie wasn’t always this heavyset, and that it isn’t some sort of glandular problem. He in fact, carries a lot of trauma in his heart and his soul, the kind related to unresolved grief, and his inability to reconcile his sexual identity. Because of societal norms and the hell that came down upon him when he explored it. Giving rise to severe PTSD that prompted him to find comfort in eating, and catharsis in the self-abuse and punishment such feasting created down the line.
​
But what makes this journey so powerful, and important, is the sheer fact that it makes it clear… that if we ignore the trauma within and the fallout of it… we will lead a miserable existence. One where we truly do wallow in darkness and pain and suffer silently with memories that bring tears to our eyes. Which is of course, a message that is sent our way via extreme visuals and moments, but that is the point. This isn’t something that can be expressed lightly or in a jovial manner. It’s serious, it’s scary and that leads to some powerful and uncomfortable moments in this story. That hold nothing back and truly show us how the pain we carry can lead to us to ruin, alongside how our inaction can impact others, through Ellie and the other important people in Charlie’s life. All of which brings forth, a shockingly bleak and angry tale. One that you don’t feel good about watching, because ugly stuff happens here, and the people in this story are genuinely angry.

Which is quite frankly, a brilliant choice regarding how this tale is told. Because we need to see, in the raw, what happens when we don’t take the time to heal and refuse to really put in the work. Because that’s the kind of ugly, that will motivate us to be better when we’re at our lowest and push harder to not let it take control in that manner. So, we don’t walk down a similar and scary path. Which in the end, makes this a powerful and cerebral motion picture. One that puts the worst parts of the human condition on display, to inspire us to be better and to point out… that it is never too late to start the journey into the light, even if we do get lost. Because we are more than our traumas and more than our mistakes. We are beings capable of so much, and this film deserves a round of applause for finally presenting the end result of trauma in the raw… so that we can fully understand its power and our need… to fight it with every fiber of our being.

---