History YMMV / TheWhale

** Thomas has also been estranged from his family and is afraid to head back home. He then gets brutalized by Ellie, who even manipulates him into smoking pot against his will by threatening to frame him for rape if he doesn't. Fortunately, [[he does manage to reconcile with his family after all]].

* CriticalDissonance: Slight example. On sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, critics scores are pretty mixed but lean in a somewhat positive direction (60 and a 65% respectively). Audience reactions, on the other hand, were significantly more positive, with a 7.7 average score for the former and a whopping 91% on the latter. What's also notable is that this is a significant step-up for Aronofsky, whose last two films were pretty low on the audience end of things (especially ''[[Film/Mother2017 mother!]]'', which is infamous for being one of the few films to get an F rating on [=CinemaScore=]).
* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct:
** While Brendan Fraser has a history flexing his chops as a dramatic actor in works such as 1998's ''Film/GodsAndMonsters'' or 2002's ''Film/TheQuietAmerican'', a vast majority of movie viewers associate him with silly popcorn blockbusters, such as ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy'' franchise, or comedies like ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' or ''Film/Bedazzled2000'', even following his hiatus and return to acting in the late 2010s. His tour de force performance in this film, believably capturing the emotional and physical and life struggles of Charlie, a suicidal man who is also clearly very intelligent and selfless, blew away ''everyone's'' expectations, being a feat that probably few professional actors can hope to match, earning him many well-deserved accolades, including the 2023 Oscar for Best Actor.
** To a lesser degree, Sadie Sink, who is well-known for her work on ''Series/StrangerThings'', shows her worth as Ellie, a deeply unpleasant yet still troubled individual whose estrangement from her father at a young age resulted in major self-esteem issues.

** Mary as well. She's not exactly a pleasant person to be around and drinks excessively, but she did have to deal with a man who married her just to have a child and then left her for another man. She's also been the victim of cyberbullying from her own daughter, and she sounds so hopeless as she describes how evil she thinks her daughter is.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age. However, her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more toward outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]] (even [[KickTheDog drugging him]] at one point), and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine that a family would want to reconcile with their child]]. Charlie's need to believe that she really is a good person reaches the point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

** Thomas has also been estranged from his family and is afraid to head back home. He then gets brutalized by Ellie, [[spoiler:who blackmails and manipulates him upon realizing his secret]]. Fortunately, [[spoiler:his family manages to reconcile with him anyway]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, but her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]] (even [[KickTheDog drugging him]] at one point), and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine that a family would want to reconcile with their son]]. Charlie's need to believe that she really is a good person reaches the point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

** Charlie, who lost his partner to suicide and has been estranged from his family for years, with his daughter openly harassing him at every opportunity.
** Thomas, who has also been estranged from his family and was even [[spoiler:blackmailed and manipulated by Ellie upon finding out his secret]]. Fortunately, [[spoiler:his family manages to reconcile with him anyway]].

* AngstAversion: Although this film has been praised, there are still many people who find it too depressing to watch, with Ellie's hostility toward Charlie and Charlie's deteriorating health being the biggest contributors.

* AngstAversion: Although this film has been praised, there are still many people who find it too depressing to watch, with Charlie's severe health issues and his problematic relationship with Ellie being the biggest contributors.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, but her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]] (even [[KickTheDog drugging him]] at one point), and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine that a family would want to reconcile with their son]]. Charlie's need to believe that she is really a good person reaches the point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

* MisaimedFandom: Some critics accused the movie of "fatphobia", believing that Charlie was being condemned to a miserable life ''because'' he was morbidly obese and not his obesity being a consequence of his self-loathing. Others believed even ''showing'' a morbidly obese person as unhappy was too much despite the fact that anyone as unhealthy and [[YourDaysAreNumbered on the verge of death]] as him would more than likely be suffering from depression.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, but her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]] (even [[KickTheDog drugging him]] at one point), and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine that a family would want to reconcile with their son]]. Charlie's need to believe that she is really a good person reaches a point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

** "I need to know that I have done '''[[SuddenlyShouting ONE THING RIGHT WITH MY LIFE!]]'''"
*** Even its usage in the trailer alone had viewers admitting to tearing up, especially because of how ''real'' the sadness appears [[FridgeHorror when taking into account]] the inner and external turmoil Brendan Fraser dealt with.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, but her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]] (even drugging him at one point), and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine that a family would want to reconcile with their son]]. Charlie's need to believe that she is really a good person reaches a point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, but her behavior in the film points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals online, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, [[BullyingTheDisabled insults and abuses Charlie at every turn]], and [[SpringtimeForHitler helps Thomas purely by accident]], as [[EvilCannotComprehendGood she couldn't imagine a family would want to reconcile with their son]]. Charlie's need to believe that she is really a good person reaches a point of [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil being delusional]]. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ellie. While many have praised her for Creator/SadieSink's genuine performance, others found her too unbearable to stand out in any way.

* OneSceneWonder: Samantha Morton shows up one hour into the film for a ten-minute sequence, but most certainly makes her presence felt. The fact that it's a pivotal scene helps.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ellie is presented as being justifiably angry that her father walked out on her at a young age, however her behavior in the film is points less to her simply being hurt and acting out and more towards outright psychopathy. She posts pictures of dead animals outline, makes violent threats to her schoolmates, insults and abuses Charlie at every turn, and helps Thomas purely by accident, as she couldn't imagine a family would want to reconcile with their son. Charlie's need to believe that she is really a good person reaches a point of being delusional. Her mother, who has equal reason to be angry at Charlie, seems to have made her peace with his decision, and considers her daughter nothing less than a monster.

** Is Ellie the JerkWithAHeartOfGold that Charlie believes her to be? Someone just lashing out because of her own DarkAndTroubledPast, but ultimately trying to help others? Or is she just a cruel bully who takes sadistic pleasure in tormenting others, like her mother believes? Near the end of the movie, she [[spoiler:blackmails Thomas into smoking pot and photographs him doing it, then records him admitting to stealing from the church and sends all of it to his church and family]]. While Charlie believes she was genuinely helping [[spoiler:Thomas since it let him reconnect with his family once they forgave him]], it can also feel like Ellie's attempt to torment another person simply failed [[EvilCannotComprehendGood because she didn't foresee the reaction her actions would get]].

----

** "That's an interesting perspective."[[labelnote:Explanation]]Charlie's gently snarky response to Ellie calling Walt Whitman a "nineteenth century faggot" has gotten some use as a reaction image to bad takes.[[/labelnote]]

* DisabledCharacterDisabledActor: Type-6 aversion. Any actor who really was the size of Charlie probably couldn't have been ensured and/or guaranteed to live through production. Likely for this reason, producers went with a healthy person and used make-up and prosthetics, rather than hiring an actual morbidly obese person. While morbidly obese actors do exist, they are usually in the 400 lbs range, not over 600, as Charlie is stated to be, and even then, a fat suit would have caused their bodies undue stress.

** "I need to know that I have done '''[[SuddenlyShouting ONE THING RIGHT WITH MY LIFE!]]'''" Even its usage in the trailer alone had viewers admitting to tearing up, especially because of how ''real'' the sadness appears [[FridgeHorror when taking into account]] the inner and external turmoil Brendan Fraser dealt with.

** While Brendan Fraser has a history flexing his chops as a dramatic actor in works such as 1998's ''Film/GodsAndMonsters'' or 2002's ''Film/TheQuietAmerican'', a vast majority of movie viewers associate him with silly popcorn blockbusters, such as ''Film/TheMummy'' franchise, or comedies like ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' or ''Film/Bedazzled2000'', even following his hiatus and return to acting in the late 2010s. His tour de force performance in this film, believably capturing the emotional and physical and life struggles of Charlie, a suicidal man who is also clearly very intelligent and selfless, blew away ''everyone's'' expectations, being a feat that probably few professional actors can hope to match, earning him many well-deserved accolades, including the 2023 Oscar for Best Actor.

** Is Ellie the JerkWithAHeartOfGold that Charlie believes her to be? Someone just lashing out because of her own DarkAndTroubledPast but ultimately trying to help others? Or is she just a cruel bully who takes sadistic pleasure in tormenting others like her mother believes? Near the end of the movie, she [[spoiler:blackmails Thomas into smoking pot and photographs him doing it then records him admitting to stealing from the church and sends all of it to his church and family]]. While Charlie believe she was genuinely helping [[spoiler:Thomas since it let him reconnect with his family once they forgave him]], it can also feel like Ellie's attempt to torment another person simply failed [[EvilCannotComprehendGood because she didn't foresee the reaction her actions would get]].

** Was Dan the Pizza Man motivated to spy on Charlie out of a desire to help him or just curiosity? Did he flee simply because he was revolted by Charlie's appearance, or did he also feel guilty for discovering Charlie's secret?

** While Creator/BrendanFraser and Creator/HongChau scored Academy Award nominations for their performances (the former won best actor), Creator/SadieSink did not.

* CriticalDissonance: Slight example. On sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, critics scores are pretty mixed but lean in a somewhat positive direction (60 and a 65% respectively). Audience reactions, on the other hand, were significantly more positive with a 7.7 average score for the former and a whopping 91% on the latter. What's also notable is that this is a significant step up for Aronofsky, whose last two films were pretty low on the audience end of things (especially ''[[Film/Mother2017 mother!]]'', which is infamous for being one of the few films to get an F rating on [=CinemaScore=]).

** While Brendan Fraser has a history flexing his chops as a dramatic actor in works such as 1998's ''Film/GodsAndMonsters'' or 2002's ''Film/TheQuietAmerican'', a vast majority of movie viewers associate him with silly popcorn blockbusters, such as ''Film/TheMummy'' franchise, or comedies like ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' or ''Film/Bedazzled2000'', even following his hiatus and return to acting in the late 2010's. His tour-de-force performance in this film, believably capturing the emotional and physical and life struggles of Charlie, a suicidal man who is also clearly very intelligent and selfless, blew away ''everyone's'' expectations, being a feat that probably few professional actors can hope to match, earning him many well-deserved accolades, including the 2023 Oscar for Best Actor.

* OneSceneWonder: Samantha Morton shows up one hour into the film for a ten minute sequence, but most certainly makes her presence felt. The fact that it's a pivotal scene helps.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: For some viewers, Ellie is just far too [[{{Jerkass}} unpleasant and rude]] to sympathize with, especially considering how ''horribly'' she treats [[NiceGuy Charlie]]. While it's understandable she feels unloved and betrayed by Charlie's abandonment, her virulent homophobia towards him and even instances of physical harm, such as leaving him on the floor after collapsing and knocking him out with sleep medicine, had many viewers [[JerkassHasAPoint agreeing with her mother that she is a lost cause]].
** One could view Charlie as such. It’s implied that he only married Mary so he could have a child and then promptly left both to be with his lover. He then engages in self-destructive behavior by becoming so morbidly obese that he becomes incapable of functioning in a standard way and will almost certainly die at a young age. One could argue he only showed any concern about reestablishing a relationship with Ellie because he knew he was about to die and wanted some personal redemption

* HarsherInHindsight: Charlie firmly tells Thomas that he's "read every bit of writing New Life has published" when the latter tries to preach to him. At first, it seems like he's just very well-read and has dealt with a lot of missionaries before. However, the movie later reveals that New Life doesn't have any missionaries, and Charlie's late boyfriend, Alan, was a member before he died by suicide. It's likely that Charlie read everything New Life published in an attempt to understand why Alan took his own life.

* AngstAversion: Although this film has been praised, there are still many people who find it too depressing to watch, with Charlie's severe health issues and problematic relationship with Ellie being the biggest contributors.

* AngstAversion: Although this film has been praised, there are still many people who find it too depressing to watch, with Charlie's severe health issues and relationship with Ellie being the biggest contributors.