I went into the theater to see “The Whale” with high expectations, and the movie exceeded them. The movie stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. It was directed by Darren Aronofsky and based off the 2012 play “The Whale,” written by Samuel D. Hunter.

Some common reviews of this movie are that Brendan Fraser carried the cast, and it was his best performance yet. He played the main character, Charlie, an obese English teacher trying to connect with his daughter before his unavoidably soon death. Charlie has a heart attack but refuses to go to the hospital because he cannot afford the care; he is expected to live barely one more week after the attack.

The first and last scene of Charlie seeing his daughter were both so heartbreaking. Charlie’s daughter (played by Sadie Sink) refused to open up to her father and was very cold towards him. I am personally not a fan of Sadie Sink because I think her acting is cheesy, therefore, this tainted my view of how her character was portrayed. Her performance showcases an angry, rude, and selfish character. It was so difficult for me to watch because of how hateful she was towards her father, when he was only trying to help her realize how amazing she is.

Fraser’s character, Charlie, fell victim to obesity after the love of his life committed suicide. The beauty of this movie is that it touches on so many subjects: abandonment, self-hatred, regret, suicide, etc. The fact that this film is able to touch on so many topics with so few characters and one set shows the depth it reaches. There are also an array of different emotions that the characters illustrate; this allows the characters to feel so many emotions throughout the film.

The big theme of “The Whale” is honesty. Fraser’s character pushed his students and daughter to be honest, even though the truth isn’t always easy to hear. As mentioned before, his daughter was very hateful, and her honest thoughts about her dad were so hard to hear. She called him terrible names and continued to put him down. These parts of the movie are what really made me emotional because I just felt so bad for Charlie because of all that he has been through. His daughter refused to forgive him, even though he admitted to his mistakes and was trying his best to reconnect with her. Whether you have a good or bad relationship with your parents, these two characters will break your heart.

The rawness and honesty of “The Whale” is what made me love this movie. The entire movie was set in Charlie’s apartment, which was a mess and I could smell it through the screen. It showed him at his lowest moments, his struggle to take care of himself on his own, his binging episodes, his regrets, and his loss. Although it may not be for everyone, I believe that the movie’s message is extremely powerful and can benefit everyone.