Brendan Fraser delivers the performance of a lifetime as Charlie, a morbidly obese online English teacher who’s relegated to the couch all day and is apparently mere moments from certain death. Written by Samuel D. Hunter (based on his own play) and directed by Darren Aronofsky, this, as you might expect, is a horribly difficult watch. Fraser’s gripping performance, however, plus those of the supporting cast—including Sadie Sink as his estranged daughter and Hong Chau as his nurse—make it seem impossible to turn away. The film as a whole may be wildly uneven and more than a little heavy-handed, but it deserves to live on as a masterclass in acting.
3.5/5 stars