The Truman Show (1998)

What’s crazier: a man raised on live TV since birth, or an entire town of actors keeping that secret his whole life without one person leaking it? The logistics fall apart the second you poke them, and a couple of the product placement gags with Meryl go so broad they feel like sketch comedy. That’s where it wobbles. Everywhere else, it’s a little miracle. Jim Carrey turns the rubber face down to a whisper and finds something sad and hopeful underneath. Laura Linney is hilariously fake the way only a great actor can be. Ed Harris plays Christof like a proud dad and a prison warden sharing one beret. Peter Weir keeps it light and funny, then lets it get heavy right when it counts, all in 103 minutes. It made $264.1 million worldwide on a reported $60 million budget. A 9.1 because it saw where all of us were headed and still found a gentle way to say it. $51.76 says you check your kitchen for a hidden camera tonight and find a smoke detector instead.

What works: Jim Carrey’s most controlled performance, Ed Harris’ calm Christof, and a premise that gets smarter every year.

What doesn’t: The logistics collapse if you think about them for a second, and a few product placement gags are too broad for the rest of the movie.

Who it’s for: Anyone who has ever felt like the people around them are reading from a script, and people who want a comedy that sneaks up on them.