The Whale

A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.

Darren Aronofsky: "Cinema can connect us to another no matter how different they may seem on the surface. People struggling with obesity are often judged, dismissed, and defined by it. When I saw Sam Hunter’s play eight years ago, I marveled at the depth of his characters, especially Charlie, and was inspired to use the silver screen to put audiences in Charlie’s shoes, to steep in his deepest thoughts, regrets, and hopes. But where would I find my Charlie? I needed a great talent that could glow through the makeup, an actor with a whale-sized heart and a pure soul. As soon as I met Brendan, I knew I had met Charlie. There’s something ineffable in him that brings Sam’s character to life and transports us—mind and body—into what might have been unknowable."