Beloved actor Brendan Fraser has finally made a comeback into movies after almost a decade-long hiatus. Best known for lead roles in The Mummy and George of the Jungle, Fraser returns in a lead role with Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Featuring fan-favorite Sadie Sink as well, the film premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival.

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Despite amazing reviews leading to an Oscar buzz for Fraser’s impeccable performance, the film still found itself at the center of controversy. Let us lay down the reasons for the audience’s conflicting opinions about the upcoming psychological drama.

The controversy around The Whale starring Sadie Sink and Brendan Fraser

While the world celebrates Brendan Fraser’s bounce back into the movies, for many, the premise of The Whale is a tough pill to swallow. The film narrates the story of Charlie played by Fraser, who is an English teacher suffering from morbid obesity. The film follows his character as he tries his best to reconcile with his teenage daughter, Ellie, portrayed by Stranger Things alum, Sadie Sink. Several members of the audience are calling out the psychological drama for its fat phobia.

Brendan Fraser portrays a 600 lb man and, to do so, convincingly dons a fat suit in the film. While fat suits are a common aid and appear in several films and sitcoms, they have recently earned a bad reputation. Whether it is Monica’s flashback scenes from F.R.I.E.N.D.S or Michael’s use of the suit in The Office for humor, many fans deem the trope as fat shaming. Allegedly, the film also delves into the serious issue of obesity on a mere surface level.

Having said that, this is not the first time Darren Aronofsky’s films have landed him in a tough spot. The director has some masterpieces like Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Mother, and many more in his arsenal. As amazing as these films are, they are infamous for their graphic content and are not everyone’s cup of tea. Nevertheless, his disturbingly stunning style is often regarded as a masterclass in filmmaking and a cinephile’s dream.

Is the film really offensive and fat-phobic? Only time will tell. The Whale with Sadie Sink and Brendan Fraser will officially grace the silver screen on December 2, 2022. Let us know what you think of the controversy in the comments. In the meantime, you can watch Stranger Things on Netflix for some Sadie Sink goodness.