A critic has sparked a debate on social media after warning "fat people" to avoid watching The Whale.
Brendan Fraser is starring in director Darren Aronofsky's upcoming psychological drama as a 600lb man called Charlie who tries to connect with his teenage daughter.
In the past few weeks, the 53-year-old actor has been praised for his return to mainstream movies and also earned himself the Best Actor award at the Toronto International Film Festival for his performance in the film.
While many fans are celebrating the beloved actor's renaissance, an entertainment journalist called Katie Rife, posted a warning for viewers on Twitter after watching Fraser's film.
Read Rife's thread below:"I can't recommend in good conscience that fat people watch The Whale," wrote Rife. "I can't recommend that skinny people watch it either, since it reinforces the notion that fat people are objects of pity who have brought their suffering upon themselves through lack of coping skills."
The journalist continued her share of thoughts on the movie by noting a list of "red flags for [eating disorders] and fat phobia" within the script that made her recall some of her own experiences.
"You can tell that no actually fat peoples were involved in the production [because] of a major plot point where the protagonist is dying, but refuses to go to the hospital even though he has money to pay the bills," she said, adding that the cause would be "medical fatphobia".
Rife then mentioned her disgust at people at the movie viewing laughing at a scene where the George of the Jungle's character was unable to pick up a key after dropping it.
Despite it all, the critic praised the iconic Mummy actor for his performance, expressing that the "humanity, sensitivity and sympathy" within the movie comes from him.
Rife's tweets sparked mixed responses from users on the social media platform, with some fans who were excited to see the movie also voicing their concerns.
One user wrote: I was so afraid of that. As a person who has struggled with her weight, binge eating, shame eating, and fat abuse all my life I’m just not sure I can emotionally handle a film like this. Even for Brendan Fraser."
Another person shared: "Thread here confirms what I have been afraid of and why a lot of the Brendan Fraser praise (based around this movie's existence) made me deeply uncomfortable."
However, other users said that they will watch the movie regardless and that there shouldn't be a lot of criticism for a "fictional" film.
One person said: "What if there are obese people who want to see the movie and who won't get upset at such things? They just want to see an Aronofsky film and Fraser's performance. Not everyone gets triggered when maybe they see themselves in a film. Is the movie good or not is all that matters."
While a second user chimed in and wrote: "You sound super fun to be around. It's a fictional movie you are looking too deep into."
The actor, who was criticized for wearing a fat suit, told Vanity Fair last month that his film is "a call for empathy," adding, "it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person".
"I looked at other body suits that had been used in comedies over the years, usually for a one-note joke," Fraser continued. "Whether intended or not, the joke is, it defies gravity. This was not that."
The Whale is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 9.
