NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Lionsgate Blu-ray (March 2023): Lionsgate have transferred Darren Aronofsky's The Whale to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. The film is intentionally very dark - almost exclusively shot in a claustrophobic, dimly lit, apartment. The dull, muddy image quality works for the film's tones and moods juxtaposing that in the finale. It was shot in 1.33:1 aspect ratio and the, almost greenish sepia, 1080P image is consistent and authentic.    

NOTE: We have added 58 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Lionsgate use a robust  DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. The Whale is fairly passive audio-wise and the track exports few separations. The somber score is by Rob Simonsen (Foxcatcher, (500) Days of Summer ) supporting the film gently in the lossless transfer. Lionsgate offer optional English (SDH) or Spanish subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

There are two featurettes on the Lionsgate Blu-ray. People Are Amazing: Making The Whale spends 25-minutes with director Darren Aronofsky, writer Samuel D. Hunter, Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins and Hong Chau discussing the film. Sounds of the Sea: Scoring The Whale is an 8-minutes video piece with composer Rob Simonsen and developing The Whale's score. There are also 2 advert trailers from A24 (Everything, Everywhere All At Once and The Inspection.)

Darren Aronofsky's The Whale is incredibly touching. Aronofsky is known for the intense impact of his films (Black Swan, Requiem For a Dream) but while he may be more restrained here - it remains gut-wrenchingly emotional. While all the performances are to be commended, Brendan Fraser's obesity prosthetics add a significant layer to his impressive acting with facial gestures, bulging eyes, grunts and an air of gentle control. My son occasionally watches television shows like "My 600-lb Life" with fascinating curiosity. It can be easy to withhold compassion for this class of eating-addicted individuals but that dam broke in The Whale. I thought it was brilliant with soul-crushing themes of grief, depression, abandonment, religious conviction... exported with expert effectiveness by Aronofsky. The Lionsgate Blu-ray gives an authentic HD presentation, and a 1/2 of extras. The film itself is very strongly recommended.

Gary Tooze