Movies Like The Truman Show You Should Definitely Watch

"The Truman Show" is one of the most unique films of the '90s. While the film is witty and deeply satirical of the American public's obsession with television and celebrity, it also explores dark psychological themes of paranoia, neglect, and self-sacrifice. The film's 1998 release came at the height of Jim Carrey's career, as he had appeared in a series of comedy hits that made him one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. With "The Truman Show," Carrey proved that he had a dramatic side as well, and gave a sensitive, mature performance.

Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, the unknowing star of the world's most popular television series, "The Truman Show." The show is syndicated as a 24-hour program that shows every aspect of Truman's existence with complete authenticity, as Truman is deceived into thinking that he lives a normal life. However, Truman's hometown is a giant set populated with actors who play the residents. The series' creator Christof (Ed Harris) manipulates events from afar, and controls the storyline. Truman begins to question the nature of his reality as he witnesses a series of strange occurrences and finds that he's unable to leave, despite his dreams of traveling to Fiji.

Truman's journey to break free from the show is both amusing and heartbreaking. It's humorous to see how the "Truman obsession" sweeps the nation, but Truman's sense of futility is dramatically conveyed. "The Truman Show" was ahead of its time, and its themes are still relevant today; if you loved "The Truman Show," then these other films are definitely worth watching.

"The Truman Show" was the perfect role for Carrey because he got to merge his dramatic and comedic sensibilities. While the situation Truman is dealing with is traumatizing and leaves him paranoid, neglected, and misunderstood, many of the outrageous situations the television show forces him into are amusing. In particular, Truman is confused about the constant product placement in his daily life, as the show incorporates in-world advertising since it doesn't take commercial breaks. Truman is giving a performance and selling ads, even when he doesn't realize it.

Carrey followed up "The Truman Show" with another great performance during which he also mixed genres. "Man on the Moon" sees him play the ultimate performer: experimental comedian Andy Kaufman. Kaufman was notorious for never breaking character, and kept gags running over several years without informing the audience. Unbound by the standard definitions of comedy, Kaufman felt out of place on the network sitcom "Taxi," where he was forced to deliver studio-mandated gags and one-liners. He developed a unique brand of anti-comedy and was unafraid to play the villain; his comments about women were often vile, and he maintained a recurring rivalry with WWE's Jerry Lawler.

It's a challenging part that only Carrey could have played. Truman struggles because his sincerity is witnessed by a returning audience every week, yet Kaufman has the opposite problem: When he's diagnosed with terminal cancer, he can't get anyone to take him seriously.

The television satire in "The Truman Show" is effective because it's shown from multiple perspectives. Truman is, of course, unaware that he's constantly being filmed, and as a result he simply accepts the strange events that occur as part of his accepted reality. However, the film is also empathetic to the actors who are forced to lie to Truman. Truman's onscreen wife Hannah Gill (Laura Linney) struggles to have an intimate relationship with a man she's forcibly married to, and Truman's best friend Louis Coltrane (Noah Emmerich) feels guilty about manipulating him. Most heartbreaking is Truman's childhood romantic fling Sylvia (Natascha McElhone); Sylvia actually loves Truman, but can't be with him because she's not part of the approved storyline.

The 1998 satirical comedy "Pleasantville" examined the idealism of '50s sitcoms in a similar fashion, showing the perspectives of both the aware and the ignorant. The film follows modern day high school siblings David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), who are constantly bickering. David is obsessed with a classic sitcom called "Pleasantville" and obsessively watches it, where Jennifer is popular at school and annoyed by her geeky brother.

A magical occurrence transports the two to the black-and-white world of "Pleasantville," where their modern beliefs are out of place in the antiquated community. "Pleasantville" examines why social standards have changed, as the constraints of the older era keep the residents from freely expressing their opinions and emotions.

One of the core themes of "The Truman Show" is how people choose to accept the reality that they're exposed to. Truman struggles because he's accepted a version of events that is obviously ludicrous, but the only contrasting viewpoints available to him come from the actors on the show, who tell him that nothing is abnormal. Truman doesn't know who he can trust, and begins to question his own sanity. It's a deeply psychological story that's sympathetic to the stigmas Truman faces.

Cameron Crowe's 2001 science-fiction mystery "Vanilla Sky" explores similar concepts of illusion, reality, and perspective. The film follows haughty publishing tycoon David Aames (Tom Cruise), who recounts the strange events that left him disfigured to the prison psychologist Dr. Curtis McCabe (Kurt Russell). David explains that his girlfriend Julia Gianni (Cameron Diaz) grew jealous of his affair with the enigmatic Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz) and forced them into a car accident, killing herself. The events send David's life spiraling out of control, and the story is told nonlinearly to highlight his confusion. By showing the events from David's perspective, Crowe makes him more sympathetic, similar to the emotional weight that Truman's journey carries.

Both films mix genres. "Vanilla Sky" features many graphic love scenes, making it akin to a sexual thriller, but it also features body horror as David is forced to live wearing a mask. David's wisecracking best friend Brian Shelby (Jason Lee) adds a humorous element, and even more absurd comedy occurs amidst David's lucid dreaming.

Among the most compelling aspects of the satire in "The Truman Show" is the depiction of the cult of personality that develops around Truman. Given the popularity of the series, Truman's fans are highly dedicated and base their entire lives on the standards that he fulfills. Truman is earnest, heartwarming, and forward-thinking, and given that he lives in an illusion, his qualities are completely authentic. As a result, he's a positive influence on his ardent followers.

Tim Robbins's 1992 satirical mockumentary "Bob Roberts" shows a more negative side to fixating on a media icon. Robbins stars as a popular singer known for his highly conservative views. After he sees weakness in the incumbent Democratic Senator Brickley Paiste (Gore Vidal), Roberts decides to run for office himself and launches a wide-ranging political campaign. He's instantly popular among both fans who love his music and conservative voters who agree with his extreme positions.

However, Roberts is quite deceptive, and begins encouraging violence during his campaign speeches. While he claims to be completely sincere, Roberts deliberately masks his sinister intentions under the guise of being an unaware celebrity, and thwarts efforts by investigative reporter Bugs Raplin (Giancarlo Esposito) to expose the truth. At first, Roberts's deflections are amusing, but they grow more chilling when Raplin uncovers his connection to a CIA drug trafficking ring. Like Carrey, Robbins is very charismatic, and the film weaponizes his endearing personality as he inspires real violence with his hate-filled words.

"The Truman Show" quickly develops beyond its initial conceit into something more existential and irreverent. Truman confronts the futility within his life, as he thinks (and later confirms) that his actions are being controlled by external forces he has no power over. It's a credit to the fluidity of Peter Weir's brilliant direction and the specificity of Andrew Niccol's writing that, even amidst Truman's darker moments, the film remains consistently engaging.

David O. Russell's highly underrated 2004 indie comedy "I Heart Huckabees" explores similar themes of existentialism, destiny, and futility through a darkly comedic premise. It's somewhat ironic that Russell is now best known for his Oscar bait films like "The Fighter," "Silver Linings Playbook," "American Hustle," and "Joy," as his early movies were much more experimental.

"I Heart Huckabees" follows the misadventures of untraditional detectives Bernard Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman) and Vivian Jaffe (Lily Tomlin), who are hired by wacky clients to search for the meaning of life. The incredible ensemble includes wild performances from Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, and Naomi Watts, who shed their usual dramatic personas for roles closer to the absurdity of '90s Carrey.

"The Truman Show" successfully transports viewers to a distinct, idiosyncratic world. Truman's hometown of Seahaven Island is contained within a floating obelisk and surrounded by sea water, leaving the residents cut off from the real world. The excellent production design, which emulates the ideal suburban town, helps bring Truman's living space to life.

When it comes to crafting a unique environment with extravagant sets, few filmmakers are more attuned to detail than "Monty Python" alum Terry Gilliam. Gilliam's 1985 sci-fi masterpiece "Brazil" developed a dystopian future where bureaucracy reigns supreme, and the densely populated urban complexes are highly polluted. The film centers on the meek desk worker Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), who learns of an impending revolution by an enigmatic resistance figure Jill Layton (Kim Griest) who haunts his dreams. Like "The Truman Show," the futurism of "Brazil" is still relevant today, and its depiction of a classist society where corporations influence social culture is painfully authentic.