“Do you ever get the feeling that people are incapable of not caring?” asks Brendan Fraser’s Charlie in the first trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.”
“People are amazing,” he says, eyes glistening with tears.
It’s the first real look we’ve had at the anticipated character study from the filmmaker behind “The Wrestler” and “Requiem for a Dream” – albeit a brief one. Already heralded on its film festival circuit earlier this fall, “The Whale” has the buzz of a major comeback vehicle for its one-time A-lister star.
The story follows a reclusive, gay and morbidly obese English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter before it’s too late. “Stranger Things” breakout Sadie Sink stars as his daughter, Ellie, and “Watchmen” and “Downsizing” star Hong Chau plays his caretaker, Liz.
Also featuring performances from Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins and Sathya Sridharan, the intimate chamber drama is based on Samuel D. Hunter’s acclaimed stage play of the same name.
“The Whale” hits theaters via A24 on Dec. 9.
Watch the minute-long trailer in the video above.
