The Best & Worst Of Darren Aronofsky's Film Career, Including "The Whale"
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Since his career began, Darren Aronofsky has been riding the line between art house and mainstream filmmaking — constantly challenging his viewers to take the ride with him, either into straightforward entertaining fare or sometimes into a bog of existential concepts.
But for Darren’s films, the trip is always worth the risk, because whether his movies succeed or fail in their mission, there is surely something interesting being brought to the table.
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His movies may not be Marvel blockbusters, but nevertheless, they are always ~event~ cinema. Whether it be an old tale with a new twist (Noah), a simple narrative with complex characters (The Wrestler), or a mind-bending psychological exploration (Black Swan), there is always something to engage and surprise us.
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Now his latest feature, The Whale, is hitting theaters, and Aronofsky and his film are already getting Oscar buzz. So, it seems like a great time to look back at his 25-year catalog and see how everything stacks up.
Need I mention there are 🚨SPOILERS🚨 AHEAD?!
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8.Mother! (2017)
Mother Earth is personified in human form by a peaceful Jennifer Lawrence. Her literal and figurative world is thrown into chaos when uninvited guests wreak havoc in her home. Man and woman enter first, then are followed quickly by nefarious characters like Philanderer, Adulterer, and even Pisser — not so veiled allegories run wild in this movie.
The concept is interesting on paper, but once this parable starts unfolding onscreen it teeters on the edge of pretentious and infuriating. If Aronofsky would have attempted this experiment in film school, it may have garnered some attention, but as two-plus-hour, star-laden Hollywood fare, it’s a bit too clever for its own good.
Story: 2/10 | Performances: 6/10 | Directing: 6/10
Average Score: 4.6/10
7.Noah (2014)
Many filmmakers try their hand at adapting books, but it takes a particularly ballsy one to adapt something as renowned as the Bible. Religious adaptations always come with their fair share of criticism, sometimes even before the movie is screened, and Noah is no exception. Aronofsky deserves credit for taking a story as well known as this and interpreting it in such a unique way.
The basic skeleton of Noah’s arc is here (both literally and figuratively), but interlaced are elements more aligned with science fiction or Lord of the Rings than they are with scripture. Religious purists may have a problem with that, but Aronofsky really does something interesting with this film. The movie as a whole may not come together fully, but the performances are good, the events are presented in epic yet believable fashion, and even the outrageous giant rock people seem to work in this tale.
While not everyone’s cup of tea, Noah keeps its head above water… See what I did there?
Story: 5/10 | Performances: 7/10 | Directing: 7/10
Average Score: 6.3/10
6.𝜋 [Pi] (1998)
𝜋 is Darren Aronofsky's first feature film, an amazing Sundance Film Festival debut that gained praise for its visual style and original story. It is also the first of many films where Darren explores themes of obsession and self-destruction.
Max, a brilliant schizophrenic, builds a supercomputer to predict the stock market. He is obsessed with finding "the algorithm," a mathematic code that may not only be the key to the world's finances, but also a message from God himself.
The film is shot in harsh black and white, which helps symbolize the various dichotomies: Science Vs. Faith and Mathematics Vs. God. There is a lot going on here, both in the story and the visuals.
While not his best film, it is an amazing debut that showcases his original mind and the visual style that will continue to be honed over the years to come.
Story: 6/10 | Performances: 5/10 | Directing: 9/10
Average Score: 7.0/10
5.The Whale (2022)
Sometimes movies based on plays feel like a filmed stage performance, occasionally becoming stagnant and, dare I say, boring. But Aronofsky's adaptation of the stage play by Samuel D. Hunter never gets to the point of feeling like black box theater. The majority of the film takes place in Charlie’s (Brendan Fraser) two-bedroom apartment, but the film never feels dull thanks to varied shot choices, blocking and editing… and, of course, the acting!
The film succeeds most of all from Brendan Fraser’s transformation and performance. It could have easily been viewed as an actor in a fat suit, but after you take in the initial images of Charlie’s huge presence, it never crosses your mind again. It ceases to become a gimmick, and we are simply left with Charlie, a man on a downward spiral. The flawless prosthetic makeup helps, but it is Fraser’s literal embodiment of this person whose life and body went beyond his control that succeeds. We learn in the first scene of the film that it is too late for him to turn things around, so we are simply left to witness his self-destruction and hope that he can find solace before the end.
While this film feels similar to some of Aronofsky’s past character explorations like The Wrestler, I didn’t find myself quite as emotionally engaged throughout as I did with that film. There are scenes that feel like they are designed to make me feel empathetic, but I don’t, and for a moment I resent it. But without warning, the tide turns and a sequence hits like a hammer between the eyes, making the sorrow well inside, and the movie is redeemed. This film is nothing if not an emotional ride. While not on the top of Aronofsky’s list, it is nevertheless a great success and a triumph for all the talented folks involved.
Story: 6/10 | Performances: 10/10 | Directing: 6/10
Average Score: 7.3/10
4.The Wrestler (2008)
Many filmmakers have said that 90% of directing is casting. Nowhere is this more true than with the casting of Mickey Rourke as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a washed-up professional wrestler trying to find purpose in life outside the “squared circle.” Rourke instantly brings this character to life simply by being, the bumpy road he's traveled evident on his body and behind his eyes. Marisa Tomei joins him onscreen, playing wonderfully against type as a stripper who sees something other than "an old broken down piece of meat," as Randy describes himself.
The story is simple enough, and the handheld directing style keeps the aesthetic grounded, but the performances are what really elevate this movie. Films like this one make you realize that sometimes a good director does not need to be flashy in style, as long as they can guide their actors to the place they need to be and let the camera capture it truthfully.
The Wrestler is a simple and honest look at a man big on the outside, but so fragile in his later years that he could break at any time. I am still amazed at how hypnotizing a movie as simple as this can be.
Story: 6/10 | Performances: 10/10 | Directing: 7/10
Average Score: 7.6/10
3.Black Swan (2010)
One of Aronofsky’s recurring themes is addiction and obsession. While Black Swan holds many different messages and offers various interpretations, the main through-line for the heroine Nina is her obsession with perfection. Natalie Portman’s performance as the driven ballet dancer is captivating and Oscar Award winning. Aronofsky’s directing style embraces grainy vérité, which elicits the feel of a documentary, making the viewer comfortable in its banality…and that’s what makes it all the more startling when crazy things start happening.
Mirrors are a key player in Black Swan’s esthetic; forcing the characters and the audience to look intensely at themselves for better or worse. When I look back at this film, I see a big black feather in Aronofsky’s cap.
Story: 7/10 | Performances: 9/10 | Directing: 8/10
Average Score: 8.0/10
2.The Fountain (2006)
The Fountain is a grandiose meditation about life, death, and mortality told through parallel stories in the past, present, and future. The visuals are stunning, the performances great, and the subject matter thought-provoking. I remember walking out of the theater and thinking, Wow, what a movie… I don’t think I liked it.
Nevertheless, I went directly to the store and bought Clint Mansell’s incredible score on CD. And that’s when my love affair with this movie truly blossomed. The movie grew on me like the roots of the Tree of Life; the more I watched it, the more it became a part of me.
Though to some it could feel pretentious and even unrelatable, it remains a simple story about loss and love, and the obsession (there’s that word again!) to keep ahold of it across time and space. It's a beautifully personal tale told on a grandiose scale, with incredible visual style, repetitious motifs, and one of the top soundtracks of all time.
If viewers have a hard time discerning a precise meaning by the end of the film, that's OK. It invokes conversation, speculation, and introspection — all things that make a great film. It reminds me of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in this way, another movie that only gets better with age. If you don't get The Fountain, just give it time.
Story: 8/10 | Performances: 8/10 | Directing: 10/10
Average Score: 8.6/10
1.Requiem for a Dream (2000)
There are signpost moments throughout the life of a moviegoer: the first time you saw Star Wars, the magic you remember from The Wizard of Oz, and the emotional triggers you get when thinking about watching Requiem for a Dream. This might sound hyperbolic, but this is a life-changing movie. There is no such thing as a casual viewing of this film — it grabs hold of you and does not let go.
I’ll never forget seeing this film for the first time and feeling absolutely drained, not really sure if I could get up and leave the theater. Once I finally made it to the lobby, I looked over at my friend, bent over with his hands on his knees as if he had just run a five-minute mile. We both let out a deep, long breath and looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say except, “Wow.”
At its core, it is a story of addiction — a theme ever-present in Aronofsky’s career but never again done with the unbridled reality and intensity as it is here. The characters feel real, and their suffering feels real, a downward spiral that we are forced to fall into with them. The performances and direction style keep you locked into the world. Not to mention Clint Mansell’s now-iconic score with Kronos Quartet — their sharp strings have since been inserted into everything from Lord of the Rings trailers to car commercials.
Though this is only Aronofsky’s second film, he is at a career high as a visual director. He throws every visual element including the kitchen sink into this picture: smash cuts, long takes, slow motion, time-lapse, and the resurrection of the Snorricam — a technique that mounts the camera to the actor’s chest while pointing at their face. This creates an intimate and disorienting connection to the character that works to high effect throughout the film; you literally cannot escape what they are going through.
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Visual techniques aside, this film boasts some of the best performances from its four lead actors, including Ellen Burstyn in her Oscar-nominated role (she was robbed!), Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans. The intensity and earnestness that each one of them brings to their roles are staggering.
This isn’t the type of film you watch once a month with a bucket of popcorn; it is not for everyone. But the high echelon of filmmaking here is undeniable. Aronofsky will continue to make great films, but he has a lot to live up to with this one under his belt.
Story: 10/10 | Performances: 10/10 | Directing: 10/10
Average Score: 10/10
So, film fans, what do think? What is your favorite Darren Aronofsky film? Inject yours into the comments!
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