Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovich is a wildly original dark comedy with a surreal premise: Craig, a down-on-his-luck puppeteer, discovers a hidden portal in a cramped Manhattan office that lets anyone inhabit actor John Malkovich’s mind for exactly fifteen minutes before being spat out beside the New Jersey Turnpike. What begins as an odd curiosity quickly becomes a scheme to monetize the experience, and then a volatile exploration of desire, control and identity as Craig, his wife Lotte and his alluring co-worker Maxine jockey for power inside Malkovich’s head. Watching the film you’ll get sharp, off-kilter humor alongside unsettling, dreamlike moments: quirky puppetry and inventive visual beats, scenes of awkward intimacy, and increasingly bizarre emotional entanglements. The story alternates between satirical comedy and eerie, existential drama, raising questions about selfhood, voyeurism and the ethics of inhabiting another person. Expect smart, oddball performances, a mix of laugh-out-loud absurdity and creeping discomfort, and a provocative finale that lingers long after the credits. If you like films that are daring, weirdly funny and thought-provoking, this one delivers a uniquely memorable cinematic experience.

Actors: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener

Director: Spike Jonze

Runtime: 113 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

7.3 /10 90 /100 7.7 /10 8.0 /10