The Whale (2022) is a raw, haunting chamber drama about a reclusive English teacher grappling with obesity, grief, and reconnection. Brendan Fraser delivers a career-defining performance in Darren Aronofsky’s intimate, emotional adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s stage play.
This 10-question trivia quiz dives into the heart of the film — its characters, symbolism, and emotional depth. If you were moved by its compassion and complexity, now’s your chance to prove how closely you were watching.
The Whale (2022) Trivia Questions & Answers
Here are the correct answers and detailed explanations for The Whale (2022) — a deeply affecting film about redemption, loss, and the enduring need for human connection.
1) Who plays the lead role of Charlie in The Whale (2022)?
Correct Answer: Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser gives a profoundly moving performance as Charlie, a reclusive man living with severe obesity and emotional isolation. His portrayal earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor and marked a celebrated return to serious dramatic roles.
2) What is Charlie’s profession before becoming reclusive?
Correct Answer: English professor
Charlie teaches writing and literature online, though he keeps his webcam turned off. His passion for language and literature — especially the idea of honesty in writing — becomes a central theme throughout the film as he tries to reconnect with his daughter through written words.
3) Which playwright wrote the original stage play the film is based on?
Correct Answer: Samuel D. Hunter
The Whale was originally a stage play written by Samuel D. Hunter, who also penned the screenplay for the film adaptation. Hunter drew on his own experiences and struggles to craft this intensely personal, emotionally raw story.
4) What is the name of Charlie’s estranged daughter?
Correct Answer: Ellie
Ellie is Charlie’s sharp-tongued and deeply hurt teenage daughter. Their fractured relationship is one of the film’s emotional cores, as Charlie desperately tries to make amends for abandoning her after he left her mother.
5) Which actress plays Ellie in the film?
Correct Answer: Sadie Sink
Sadie Sink, known for Stranger Things, plays Ellie with fierce intensity. Her portrayal captures the bitterness, intelligence, and hidden vulnerability of a teenager grappling with abandonment and disappointment.
6) What serious health condition is Charlie suffering from?
Correct Answer: Congestive heart failure
Charlie’s extreme obesity has led to congestive heart failure, and he refuses to go to the hospital. The looming sense of physical decline gives the film a ticking clock and heightens the urgency of Charlie’s attempt at emotional reconciliation.
7) Which religious character frequently visits Charlie?
Correct Answer: Thomas, a missionary
Thomas, a young missionary from a local church, repeatedly visits Charlie in an effort to “save” him. Their conversations about faith, guilt, and forgiveness are woven into the film’s broader themes of redemption and the search for meaning in suffering.
8) What piece of writing does Charlie find most meaningful?
Correct Answer: An essay on “Moby-Dick”
An essay about Moby-Dick, written by Ellie years earlier, becomes a recurring symbol of honesty and emotional truth. Charlie clings to it as a grounding force, reading it at critical moments. Its content reflects the film’s exploration of personal failure and the hope for redemption.
9) Who directed The Whale (2022)?
Correct Answer: Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky, known for Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream, directs this intimate chamber piece with restraint and focus. The film’s limited setting — almost entirely inside Charlie’s apartment — intensifies the emotional claustrophobia and directs attention to performance and dialogue.
10) How would you describe the tone of The Whale (2022)?
Correct Answer: Intimate, emotional drama with themes of redemption and grief
The Whale is a deeply human, often painful story that centers on regret, forgiveness, and the possibility of connection in one’s final days. It’s driven by raw performances and heavy emotional themes, grounded in real human struggle rather than spectacle.
