The Truman Show
Family FavoritePG

The Truman Show

On the air. Unaware.

1998 • 103 min • Comedy · Drama

Synopsis

In a picture-perfect seaside town, an insurance salesman begins to realize that his entire existence may be staged and observed by a vast unseen audience as part of a long-running real-time reality TV show.

Our family guide

Best from age 10
96
Movie Knight Score
20569 reviews
  • 100 Reviewers · 10 · 75%
  • 82 Audience · 20559 · 25%

A cheerful man discovers his entire life is a television show, broadcast globally since birth. He lives in a meticulously crafted reality, complete with actors playing his friends and family, and unseen cameras following his every move. He embarks on a quest for the truth and freedom.

Violence & peril
2/10
Language
1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking
1/10
Romance & sensuality
1/10
Scary moments
4/10

Heads up

  • Themes of existential crisis may be complex
  • Character faces emotional manipulation

What it models well

  • The search for truth
  • Perseverance in the face of doubt
  • The desire for freedom
  • The importance of individuality

Talk about it after

  • What makes a life real or authentic?
  • The ethics of privacy and surveillance
  • The impact of media on our perceptions
  • Chasing your dreams despite obstacles

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Truman Show. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Stream

  • YouTube TV
  • MGM Plus

Rent

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Peter Weir • Crew: Andrew Niccol

Trailers & clips

"Escape Town on a Bus" Clip

Every Time Jim Carrey Spots a Creepy Fake Ad

The Truman Show - Trailer

Trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended

**_Take a smiling bow and exit_** A 30-years old man living in an idyllic community off the coast of America (Jim Carrey) wants to leave the isle but his efforts curiously seem hindered. What’s going on? “The Truman Show” (1998) is a drama/fantasy/satire helmed by Peter Weir and costarring Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich and Natascha McElhone. It’s entertaining enough and there are some worthy psyc...

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

Directed by Peter Weir and starring Jim Carrey in a career-defining role, the film tells the story of Truman Burbank, a man living unknowingly in a reality TV show. This premise alone sets it apart in cinematic history. Truman felt real, relatable, and honestly, just amazing. What makes this movie special is how unique the story is. Back in 1998, the idea of someone’s life being filmed without them knowing was ...

Recommended

If you think Simon Cowell is a television control freak, just meet "Christof" (Ed Harris) who built an huge great dome you can see from space, populated by dozens of ever-changing actors all so the ever-curious world can follow the life of one man. "Truman Burbank" (Jim Carrey) has lived what he considers to be a perfectly normal, trouble-free, life that has led him to his currently, happily married, status with "...

Recommended

How the heck did they make so much money off advertisements?!

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

Seen this one numerous times, including in the theater, and still holds up so well, and is engrossing from beginning to end. It was the first time seeing how versatile Jim Carrey was. Just a great all around movie. **4.5/5**

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

Such a well executed plot. So much fun to watch. Jim Carrey, an actor I always enjoying watching, is terrific in the lead as Truman - he kills every moment, very much the perfect person to play this role. Laura Linney (Hannah), Ed Harris (Christof) and Noah Emmerich (Louis) are the best of the rest, while Paul Giamatti (Simeon) even appears. <em>'The Truman Show'</em> is one of those films that I've heard a ...

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

In a world experimenting with big brother reality shows and questioning what is real in a mtrix kind of way, The Truman Show is a splendid and well executed movie about a man owned by a corporation from birth, who lives on the set while not being aware of the fact that everything around him is fake. Brilliant Jim Carey.

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

On the surface, The Truman Show is about a man who has lived his life trapped inside of a bubble. He tries the entire movie to pop the bubble, and he eventually does. Under that layer, though, is a complex theme. Does Truman really enjoy his cell? He seemed to for years. At the same time, he struggled with memories, but don't we all? As the viewer, we're left to determine the morality of the happiness of mil...

Recommended

Truman...One of my favourite films. It's just hilarious. The whole concept that this man thinks he is living in the real world. Very well done to the Director and Writers!

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

**"The Truman Show"** dares to question the reality. It's original, complex, and philosophical. It manages to make you feel truly frustrated and **claustrophobic**. Perhaps many of us can relate to Truman as we live in a time of routines. We often live our lives without giving a second thought to the simplicity and meaninglessness of life itself. Our limited perspectives keep us from seeing. The lies we are to...

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