The Brendan Fraser resurgence is in full swing and we’re loving it! A couple of months ago, the first look of the actor in Darren Aronofsky’s new movie, The Whale, surfaced online to an overwhelmingly positive response. Over the weekend, the film finally premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a 6-minute standing ovation, causing Fraser to get visibly emotional on stage.  

After being away from the limelight for over 15 years, the 53-year-old actor seems to be finally getting his due, with early reactions to the movie praising The Mummy actor. However, it’s not just the audience at the festival who seems to be praising Fraser and Aronofsky’s new flick. Reviews from international publications have surfaced online, giving it nearly 70 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes.   

For instance, Robert Ruggio, from Awards Watch writes, “The Whale wouldn’t be as effective if it wasn’t for the incredible lead performance given by Brendan Fraser…and I don’t think anyone could have played Charlie the way Fraser did.”  

Meanwhile, Tim O’Brien, from The Next Big Film wrote, “The fact that Fraser is so good in the role and that Aronofsky is so skilled at shaping the performance combine to make The Whale a uniquely powerful film experience.”

While the praises for Fraser’s performance look universal, the movie in itself seems to be garnering a mixed-bag reaction from critics. Ben Croll, from The Wrap, writes, “Most of the fatalism comes from a heavy-handed style that sees this closed world as a closed circuit, a place for figurative characters to come and express what they Represent. And then to come back the next day and do it again.”  

Marshall Shaffer, from Slashfilm, wrote, “Brendan Fraser is easily the best part of Darren Aronofsky’s otherwise derivative The Whale.”  

The Whale is based on Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name and stars Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins in the lead, along with Fraser. The actor will also be seen in Martin Scorsese’s next venture, Killers of the Flower Moon, which is expected to debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Meanwhile, The Whale is set to receive a theatrical release in December of this year, right around the award season. Could we see an Oscar nom coming Fraser’s way? Well, it remains to be seen.