To say that A24 has deployed an interesting marketing strategy for “The Whale” is an understatement. After a rapturous debut at the Venice Film Festival, where critics were falling over themselves to give the Oscar to Brendan Fraser right then and there, there were months without any new marketing materials for the film. And finally, about a month before the film was released, there was one trailer, which didn’t even really talk about the plot of the film or offer a real glimpse at this amazing performance that people were raving about. Now, after the film is already in select theaters and expanding nationwide, we finally get our first real look at Darren Aronofsky’s awards contender.
READ MORE: Darren Aronofsky Says ‘The Whale’ Fat Suit Controversy “Makes No Sense To Me”
As seen in the latest trailer for “The Whale,” the film follows the story of a man attempting to reconnect with his daughter after years apart. However, one of the reasons the father (played by Fraser) has been absent from his daughter’s life is that he’s nearly 600 pounds. From the glimpses in the trailer, it’s clear that Fraser is acting his heart out in the role, and it might have been better if we saw these teases months ago in the lead-up to the film being released.
But maybe there was a reason for the odd marketing strategy? As the film opened for the general public and critics after its Venice debut, we’ve started to see some serious backlash aimed at “The Whale.” Folks are pointing out how Fraser donning a fat suit to play a 600-pound man, who also happens to be gay (the actor is straight) could be seen as problematic. Not only that, other reviews for the film have been much more critical of the film and Aronofsky’s visuals, with some saying the film is sending the opposite message than what seems to be its intentions.
Regardless of the marketing and the recent backlash, the film seems to be doing just fine at the box office, earning solid numbers in its recent debut. Not only that, Fraser continues to earn more recognition, including a recent Golden Globes nomination. So, maybe A24 is much smarter than we’re giving the studio credit for?
“The Whale” is in theaters now and starts expanding on December 21.
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