Films › Spike Jonze

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Film

DirectorSpike Jonze

Meta takes6

Figures

Locations

The 7½ floor of the Mertin-Flemmer building → The Soul-Crushing Shift

Tropes

The portal to John Malkovich's mind
The experience of inhabiting Malkovich's body
Lotte's experience as John Malkovich → The Performed Self
The character and person of John Malkovich
Craig Schwartz's puppeteering → The Uncanny
The screenplay and authorship within the film → The Death of the Author
Craig's use of the portal to be with Maxine → The Controlling Eye
Malkovich entering his own portal → The Abject

Films most connected to Being John Malkovich

Ratatouille (2007) — via The Abject, The Soul-Crushing Shift, The Death of the Author
Barton Fink (1991) — via The Uncanny, The Death of the Author
The Menu (2022) — via The Abject, The Soul-Crushing Shift
Law of Desire (1987) — via The Performed Self, The Abject
Memories of Matsuko (2006) — via The Performed Self, The Abject
Titane (2021) — via The Performed Self, The Abject
The Ballad of Narayama (1983) — via The Abject, The Uncanny
Office Space (1999) — via The Abject, The Uncanny