The Truman Show (1998)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:96
Fresh:91
Rotten:5
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: A funny, tender, and thought-provoking film, The Truman Show is all the more noteworthy for its remarkably prescient vision of runaway celebrity culture and a nation with an insatiable thirst for the private details of ordinary lives.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Comic actor Jim Carrey plays it (mostly) straight for this smart satire from director Peter Weir (DEAD POETS SOCIETY). The life of Truman Burbank (Carrey) has been broadcast around the world with... [More]
Reviews for The Truman Show
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 4.5/5 |
A hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire which also allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy. Full Review |
||
|
|
One movie you can pronounce a modern classic with absolute confidence. Full Review |
||
|
|
A masterpiece of art, comedy, perfect acting and pure uplifting emotion. Full Review |
||
|
10/10 |
It is one of the best films ever made about the dangers of mass-media... Full Review |
||
|
|
The issues it tackles are just as relevant now (if not more so) than they were when the film was first released theatrically back in 1997. Full Review |
||
|
3/4 |
...benefits substantially from Jim Carrey's unexpectedly layered (and flat-out moving) performance. Full Review |
||
 3/5 |
Some of us may go out wishing for something meatier, edgier. Full Review |
||
|
|
A good, intelligent, insightful movie... Full Review |
||
|
4/5 |
Isn't it amazing what you can do if you take the time to FINISH your script? Full Review |
||
|
2.5/5 |
Carrey doesn't break off into outrageous physical comedy bits as fans might hope, and the film does take a while to find its legs, but there is something rewarding in its quirky demeanor. Full Review |
||
|
A- |
A deceptively simple fairy tale; a hilariously subversive satire… and finally an elegant parable about truth and happiness with evocative religious resonances. Full Review |
||
|
B+ |
The movie and its themes have held up. For better or worse, we're a nation consumed by television, a country roped in by spectacle. Weir sees through it. Full Review |
||
|
5/5 |
With the reality TV boom, it brings forth more thoughts as to whether our society could ever be this extreme, and with each viewing, its themes deepen. Full Review |
||
|
2/4 |
The intimations of profundity, of reality perceived, mediated, and processed, are milked for heavy irony rather than enlarging complexit. Full Review |
||
|
4/4 |
[A] hugely entertaining dramatization of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"...a fable that would be relevant 50 years earlier and no doubt will remain relevant 50 years hence. Full Review |
||
|
|
Jim Carrey gets in touch with his Jimmy Stewart side. There's a humanity here... that we haven't seen before. Full Review |
||
|
|
A brilliant flick with a remarkable performance by Carrey coupled to a fascinating story, a first-class cast and top-notch technical credits. Full Review |
||
|
4/4 |
This is clearly one of the decade's cleverest, most original pictures. Full Review |
||
|
A |
Truman has been wronged, and it is thrilling to see him strive to escape a machine built by a compassionless and egomaniacal creator. Full Review |
||
|
|
This is a profound movie for people who don't like to think, or perhaps for people who are in the media and of the media, and can't imagine any life outside it. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for The Truman Show
September 13, 2006:
Jim Carrey With Joel Schumacher? "The Number 23" Reviewed
Numerologists and Jim Carrey fans will be thrilled to hear that "The Number 23," set for release in February 2007, will be another dark, tunnel-like experience the... More...
December 02, 2005:
Depp, Weir & Roth to Visit "Shantaram"
Variety brings news of a cinematic pairing that should thrill most of the hardcore movie geeks out there. How about Peter Weir directing Johnny Depp? Yup, thought that'd get... More...
July 29, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Lord of War
Yahoo! Movies brings us the all-new trailer for Lions Gate's seemingly twisted comedy-action flick "Lord of War," which stars Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke,... More...
May 17, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: "A History of Violence"
Thanks to the official Cannes Film Festival website for posting the all-new trailer for David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence." The New Line Cinema release, which... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds