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Being John Malkovich

R Released Oct 29, 1999 1h 52m Comedy List
94% Tomatometer 136 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In this quirky cult-favorite comedy, unemployed New York City puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) reluctantly takes a temp job as a filing clerk for the eccentric Dr. Lester (Orson Bean). While at work, Craig discovers a portal that leads into the mind of renowned actor John Malkovich. When he lets his attractive co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener) in on the secret, they begin both an unusual business scheme and an odd relationship that involves Craig's restless wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz).
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Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich

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Critics Consensus

Smart, funny, and highly original, Being John Malkovich supports its wild premise with skillful direction and a stellar ensemble cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting Kaufman and Jonze steer us through a truly twisted psychological and existential swamp. Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 30, 2019 Full Review David Germain Associated Press Fabulously funny and delightfully disturbed, "Being John Malkovich'' is the ultimate voyeur movie, a dark and at times malevolent take on what it's like to be in someone else's skull, looking out. Jun 12, 2018 Full Review Chris Chang Film Comment Magazine The beauty of the film is the way it elevates John Malkovich from an actor to an axiom. Mar 22, 2018 Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times The fact that it manages to carry its open-mouthed audience through every awesomely enigmatic turn is its greatest accomplishment. Rated: 5/5 Jun 7, 2024 Full Review Chuck Klosterman Akron Beacon Journal It sometimes seems like there is more legitimate creativity in [Malkovich] than there's been in almost every other movie released this year. The script is completely insane and consistently brilliant, and it's funny on almost every level imaginable. Rated: 4/4 Oct 30, 2023 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... a devastatingly funny portrait of unhappiness, desperation, desire, and the vicious things we do for love... Apr 8, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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julie b Wonderfully weird and full of so so so many obscure details and side characters - I just keep thinking about them pitching this script or coming up with this concept and it mystifies me in a good way. Catherine Keener in particular is amazing and magnetic as Maxine, and of course there’s John!! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Mix R Weird as hell, but worth watching, if you want to see a handful of humane characters and eternal screwing of a shocked mind. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/24 Full Review M R A very strange film to say the least. But intriguing enough at times to keep the viewer entertained. It is a very weird plot but the performances are wonderful. Rating: 8/10 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/16/24 Full Review Blu B A Classic Drama Fantasy. The editing is masterful as this weaves effortlessly between Fantasy, comedy, drama, and a love "Square" to boot and is super sharp. It's filled with tons of underlying commentary about the concept of an individual and the collectiveness of humanity in a satircal but very clever fashion and highly original. There is truly nothing like this that I can think of. It's such a bizarre concept that feels like it's its own thing and not borrowing from anything. The acting, cinematography, and pacing are all really good. The music is solid also but not neccesarily catchy or memorable on it's own. This is a film that relies solely on it's original idea and lifts everything up with it as the direction is pretty good but not amazing. It can look a little dull throughout and none of the characters are truly that likeable, which feels on purpose save for John. The dialouge can be very quirky at times but it fits for such a unique subject matter. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, Kaufman screeplays, or just very out there original ideas will like this a lot. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Audience Member Boring and confusing. I don’t really understand why this movie has high ratings! Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/24/23 Full Review Maggie S Wow. This movie blew my mind. It was so weird. Highly enjoyable Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Being John Malkovich

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Cast & Crew

Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Dance of Despair and Disillusionment Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Dance of Despair and Disillusionment 2:14 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Craig's Escape From Malkovich Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Craig's Escape From Malkovich 2:13 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - John Malkovich Becomes a Puppeteer Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - John Malkovich Becomes a Puppeteer 2:11 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Inside Malkovich Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Inside Malkovich 2:14 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Discovers J.M. Inc. Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Discovers J.M. Inc. 2:13 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Gets Paranoid Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Malkovich Gets Paranoid 1:38 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Sad Man Becomes John Malkovich Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Sad Man Becomes John Malkovich 2:11 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Craig Wins a Date With Maxine Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - Craig Wins a Date With Maxine 2:10 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - 7 1/2 Floor Orientation Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - 7 1/2 Floor Orientation 2:13 Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - The Speech Impediment Being John Malkovich: Official Clip - The Speech Impediment 2:23 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In this quirky cult-favorite comedy, unemployed New York City puppeteer Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) reluctantly takes a temp job as a filing clerk for the eccentric Dr. Lester (Orson Bean). While at work, Craig discovers a portal that leads into the mind of renowned actor John Malkovich. When he lets his attractive co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener) in on the secret, they begin both an unusual business scheme and an odd relationship that involves Craig's restless wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz).
Director
Spike Jonze
Producer
Steve Golin, Vincent Landay, Sandy Stern, Michael Stipe
Screenwriter
Charlie Kaufman
Distributor
USA Films
Production Co
Gramercy Pictures, Single Cell Pictures, Propaganda Films
Rating
R (Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 29, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.9M
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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