THE WHALE
Narrative Feature | 117 minutes

HIFF 2022

 Spotlight

Directed by
Darren Aronofsky

Produced by
Jeremy Dawson, Ari Handel, Darren Aronofsky

Written by
Samuel D. Hunter

Featuring
Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton

Sponsored by



East Coast Premiere

2022 | English | USA

Academy Award® nominee Darren Aronofsky (BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER) returns to the festival with the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser, in a career-defining comeback performance), an online English teacher confined to his home due to his severe obesity. When his health issues escalate, he reconnects with his long-estranged teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink, STRANGER THINGS) in an attempt to rejoin the world that rejected him. Based on the award-winning play by Samuel D. Hunter, who also adapted the screenplay, THE WHALE is a gritty yet compassionate story that draws self-acceptance and redemption out of darkness and shame. An A24 release.