When faced with death, the faces of those you affected throughout your life, for better or for worse, will be there to judge you. But whether or not that impact was positive or negative, is left to your consciousness to decide.

The world of cinema was taken aback by Darren Aronofsky’s 2022 film, The Whale which explicitly depicts a broken man struggling with obesity, nearing death, and desperate to redeem himself with his estranged teenage daughter.

As a film that heavily relies on its actors’ performances to convey feelings, The Whale effectively transmits intense emotions as a way to communicate its message regarding empathy and the rejection of judgment. I’d be lying if I said that this movie is a pleasant watch, which is why it’s so successful in conveying Aronofsky’s message.

People dealing with disorders such as body dysmorphia and eating irregularities are individuals worthy of empathy, pushing the audience toward the rejection of judgment by default.

The film is about the struggles of a terminally obese English teacher named Charlie, played by Brendan Fraser. With only a few days to live, he desperately tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Ellie, played by Sadie Sink. The film mainly takes place in Charlie’s flat, a dark and filthy gateway to the main character’s psyche. The lack of cleanliness, clothes on the ground, grime, leftovers, and neglected food items create a parallel sensation of abandonment. The repulsive state of his apartment is a metaphor for his being, further highlighted by his own lack of physical care. It’s a visually unapologetic display of genuine human emotion, adverse conditions, mortality, and the struggles of a severe eating disorder.

Throughout the movie, you can’t help but feel sorry for Charlie’s living conditions, regardless of his mistakes. Watching Charlie’s relentless story of redemption and desperation is similar to witnessing a car accident, you know it’s going to be ugly, but you just cannot look away.  Such an explicit display of outright misery and struggle forces the audience to empathize with the character, creating an interesting relationship between the audience, Charlie, and those around him. For instance, Ellie’s built-up frustration with her father is explosive and aggressive, resorting to insults and manipulation as a defense mechanism. This is a stark contrast with Charlie’s passiveness and self-loathing attitude, placing all of the blame upon him yet unable to do anything to improve the situation.

The way characters are written is meant to make it so they are as grounded and human as possible. Throughout the film, you can’t help but feel partially annoyed, disgusted, and even frustrated with every character. Such negative feelings arise when Charlie nearly suffocates. Ellie’s heart-piercing rants and Liz’s disdain toward religion make them feel like genuine individuals with human ideals. You see them at their most vulnerable moments, instances where they think they’re in private and let their true colors show. Think about it like this: if you had a camera following you around every single moment of your life, do you think you’d be as likable as a blockbuster superhero? No, our flaws, regardless of how much we may try to hide them, show themselves through moments of privacy and vulnerability.

Liz, a vital character that helps Fraser and Sink transmit an emotionally compelling narrative is Charlie’s caretaker. Her character expresses frustration yet is relentlessly empathetic with Charlie.  She operates as a means to help rationalize his condition. Her character is a prime example of how Aronofsky develops a plot whose deeply human interactions connect with the audience’s natural tendency to simultaneously judge and empathize. She takes care of him, tends to his medical needs, and provides company every other day. For her willingly investing time into Charlie’s well-being as a personal nurse communicates to the audience the need for empathy for those with such conditions.

As disturbing as the film is the themes of regret, redemption, and forgiveness make for a deeply “psychological” experience. This is not a film expressing joy or excitement. It’s a thoughtful picture that forces the viewer to be actively aware of their choices. Avoiding a spoiler,  watching the movie during its flashback segments transforms the movie into a psychological analysis of how individuals deal with great misfortune or tragedy. A good point of comparison would be Scorcese’s Taxi Driver. Both films provide a peek into what it’s like to feel absolute hopelessness. Travis Bickle’s struggle to fit into society is parallel to Charlie’s self-imposed isolation. Travis expresses his frustration with violence, whereas Charlie dwells in his dark corner of comfort.

The emotion in this film left me numb and it is not for everyone. If you’re not in a healthy mental space, squeamish, or struggle with excessive demonstrations of misery, this movie isn’t for you. However, if you’re willing to be vulnerable and connect with a narrative that’s pertinent to the human condition, I highly recommend this film. Aronofsky gave Fraser the opportunity of a lifetime and he responded with his most compelling performance to date. Hence, The Whale is a phenomenal example of how cinema can evoke intense and genuine emotions from an audience.