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- Darren Aronofsky returned in 2022 with the drama movie The Whale. The movie received a standing ovation when it screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and it appears that actor Brendan Fraser will receive awards recognition thanks to his performance in the movie. However, like many of the director's movies, it remains polarizing. There is often a disconnect between critics and the audience with his movies. However, unlike many directors, these differences change from movie to movie. While critics might love one Aronofsky movie, the audience will reject it. In other cases, like The Whale, critics remain lukewarm while the audience on IMDb made it one of his top-rated movies to date.
Darren Aronofsky has a distinct style presented in all of his films. His ability to tell gripping stories has created a fan base, along with cult followings for some of his more art house movies like Requiem For A Dream.
Some of his stories are well known, like Black Swan, which some fans regard as one of Natalie Portman's best movies. His other works like Pi have a more obscure reputation. Aronofsky has received accolades for many of his movies, as well as fans. Many of them have taken to IMDb to rate his filmography.
UPDATE: 2023/01/17 11:30 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS
Darren Aronofsky returned in 2022 with the drama movie The Whale. The movie received a standing ovation when it screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and it appears that actor Brendan Fraser will receive awards recognition thanks to his performance in the movie. However, like many of the director's movies, it remains polarizing. There is often a disconnect between critics and the audience with his movies. However, unlike many directors, these differences change from movie to movie. While critics might love one Aronofsky movie, the audience will reject it. In other cases, like The Whale, critics remain lukewarm while the audience on IMDb made it one of his top-rated movies to date.
Noah (2014) – 5.8
Stream now on Prime Video & Paramount+
Noah is Darren Aronofsky's adaptation straight out of the Bible. It follows the story of Noah's Ark and the raging storm which destroyed all life on Earth, save what Noah could bring aboard his ark. Russell Crowe stars as the title character Noah, building his ark to save one male and one female animal from each species.
He is joined by Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, and Jennifer Connelly, with who Aronofsky worked with on Requiem For A Dream. The movie was polarizing. Many Christians felt that Aronofsky strayed too far from the Biblical story. Fans of the director also complained that it marked a departure from Aronofsky's original scripts, making it less accepted than his other works.
Mother! (2017) – 6.6
Stream now on Freevee & Showtime
Mother! presents a stylized story with horrific elements and an abstract narrative. It tells the tale of a man and his wife living in a house and several strange occurrences that follow. The man is a poet, and he is inspired by his wife. The couple doesn't call each other by name, and before long strange visitors come to their home. The man's wife becomes pregnant and gives birth among a whirlwind of terrifying events.
Jennifer Lawrence stars as the titular mother alongside Javier Bardem as the poet. Fans of Mother! say the movie is gripping, and the story makes interesting connections to biblical stories. Critics of the film suggest it is less accessible than some of Aranofsky's more straightforward storytelling seen in movies like The Wrestler. These contrasting ideas keep the movie ranked lower for IMDb voters than most of his other films.
The Fountain (2006) – 7.2
Rent now on Apple TV & Prime Video
Aronofsky presents an interesting story following a surgeon, Thomas Creo, looking for a cure for his wife Izzi who is suffering from a life-threatening disease. While Thomas looks for cures, Izzi writes a story set in the time of the ancient Mayans. The narrative of the couple is told alongside abstract flashes to one taking place in the Mayan jungle, in which the main character appears very similar to Thomas. A third vision in outer space is also presented. Hugh Jackman plays Thomas alongside Rachel Weisz as Izzi.
Fans of The Fountain say Aronofsky presents a beautiful abstract love story with the film, others point to its impressive visual elements, produced by filming techniques that capture extreme close-ups to create effects, rather than with computer-generated imagery. It is highly polarizing, Aronofsky's worst-rated movie by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score there and on IMDb show that fans still appreciated it.
Pi (1998) – 7.3
Stream now on Redbox & Pluto TV
Aronofsky presented audiences with his first feature film with Pi. Created in black and white, It tells the story of Maximillian "Max" Cohen, a mathematician in New York. Max tries to figure out patterns between his studies and the waking world while suffering from several mental health complications.
Pi lays the foundation for Aronofsky's career with his signature themes and style. As Max can't necessarily decipher what's happening in his head and what's happening in real life, the audience has to decide for themselves. Fans of the movie said it showed Aronofsky's potential early in his career with its distinctive visuals. Rotten Tomatoes critics called Pi Aronofsky's second-best movie after The Wrestler.
The Wrester (2008) – 7.9
Stream now on HBO Max
The Wrestler follows Robin Ramzinski, an aging professional wrestler struggling to keep his career afloat amid health, financial, and social problems. Also known by his stage name Randy "The Ram" Robinson, he tries to connect with his daughter and build a romantic relationship with a local dancer between working at a deli counter and booking wrestling gigs.
Some say Aronofsky gave Mickey Rourke his comeback with his starring role as Randy after the film received positive feedback from fans and critics. Lovers of The Wrestler say Aronofsky told his most accessible story, restricting some of his more abstract visuals and ambiguous story-telling for a straightforward story that still incorporated his themes and style. It was a huge success and Rourke received Oscar attention.
Black Swan (2010) – 8.0
Rent now on Apple TV & Prime Video
Aronofsky gave audiences one of his most unique and critically-lauded films with Black Swan. It presents the elite world of ballet, following professional dancer Nina Sayers as she prepares for her starring role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Aronofsky's signature elements come into play when the line between what's real and what's in the mind of the overwhelmed Nina becomes blurred.
Black Swan received numerous accolades including an Oscar Best Picture nomination. It's little surprise that it is so highly rated considering its widespread popularity. Fans might point to its authentic presentation of the world of ballet with meticulous attention to detail as proof of Aronofsky's work ethic. Others might say its performances, striking visuals, and immersive quality make it one of Aronofsky's best movies, with a balance between abstract elements and a straightforward narrative.
The Whale (2022) – 8.1
In Theaters Now
The Whale is a movie that critics didn't seem to completely love, but fans have accepted it wholeheartedly. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Darren Aronofsky movie has a low 65 percent score, and only one of his movies ranks lower (The Fountain). The movie follows Fraser as a professor who has long hurt himself through overeating. Now hundreds of pounds overweight, he learns he has one week left to live and wants to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
While critics were lukewarm, fans ate it up. Both the Rotten Tomatoes audience score (93 percent) and IMDb score (8.2) were high. Fraser's central performance in the movie has been widely praised, leading to speculation that he could end up as a front-runner for Best Actor at the Oscars. Sadie Sink's performance as his daughter, and Aronofsky's direction, have also been noted for creating an overall moving experience.
Requiem For A Dream (2000) – 8.3
Stream now on Tubi & Redbox
It's hard to argue that Requiem For A Dream isn't Aronofsky's most notorious movie. It follows the intertwining stories of four drug addicts as they navigate their addictions and relationships. Things move from light to extremely heavy as the characters meet their downfalls by the end of the movie. Many consider Requiem For A Dream one of the best movies with a haunting and unsettling ending.
Fans of Requiem For A Dream might say it is Aronofsky's best film because it is so effective. Audiences connect with the film so deeply thanks to its performances and the director's heartbreaking storytelling. It features his trademark visuals presented against a strong narrative, allowing viewers to connect deeply with its protagonists, making them devastated by the time they meet their fates. Fans would say it is certainly not Aronofsky's happiest movie, but many called it his best.