Overview
A wild journey through the life of a comedian who blurs the lines between reality and performance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- zany
- comedian movie night
- biopic double feature
What critics said
Critics were mixed overall but near-unanimous in praising Jim Carrey’s transformative portrayal of Andy Kaufman.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Andy Kaufman’s career, personas, television appearances, and wrestling feud form the film’s central subject.
Kaufman’s Tony Clifton persona, provocative routines, and wrestling performances blur character, prank, and personal identity.
Kaufman repeatedly unsettles audiences through foreign-language routines, intergender wrestling, and confrontational showmanship.
George Shapiro’s management, Kaufman’s television work, and the NBC conflict frame fame as an industry-mediated performance.
Films like Man on the Moon, and why
The King of Comedy
shared biographical comedy-drama form, eccentric performer protagonist, and tension between public persona and private identity
Being There
shared show-business setting, darkly comic celebrity satire, and psychologically ambiguous performance culture
The People vs. Larry Flynt
shared biopic structure, transformative lead performance, and unconventional comedian subject
Ed Wood
shared theatrical self-invention, abrasive humor, and volatile celebrity relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Miloš Forman
- Release Date
- 1999-12-22
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (2057)
Cast
- Jim Carrey
- Danny DeVito
- Courtney Love
- Paul Giamatti
- Vincent Schiavelli
- Peter Bonerz
- Jerry Lawler
- Gerry Becker
- Leslie Lyles
- Greyson Erik Pendry
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Man on the Moon about?
- A provocative biographical comedy-drama follows Andy Kaufman as his slippery personas, television career, and wrestling feud transform showmanship into an elaborate test of belief.
- What is Man on the Moon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Man on the Moon as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Man on the Moon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Man on the Moon as mild.
- What did critics think of Man on the Moon?
- Critics were mixed overall but near-unanimous in praising Jim Carrey’s transformative portrayal of Andy Kaufman.
- Which films are like Man on the Moon?
- Films with a similar feel include The King of Comedy, Being There, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Ed Wood.
- How long is Man on the Moon?
- Man on the Moon runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Man on the Moon?
- In United States, Man on the Moon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
