Few films have had such an intense cultural impact as the Jim Carrey sci-fi satire The Truman Show. Released in 1998 to critical acclaim (and garnering three well-deserved Oscar nominations), the influential movie has endured over the years and remains a staple of film nerd chat well over two decades later — allegedly, Margot Robbie put The Truman Show on her Letterboxd list as a film she watched in preparation for the incredibly hyped upcoming Barbie movie.
Carey is joined by a stellar cast, including Laura Linney, Ed Harris, and Philip Glass, and the result is an absolutely brilliant exploration of the power of media, the importance of privacy, and the human instinct towards voyeurism.
Now, with 2023 marking the 25th anniversary of the film, there’s renewed interest in the titular Truman and his life. But where can old fans and new, eager viewers have the opportunity to watch the movie? If you want to know where you can stream The Truman Show for its 25th anniversary, then read ahead for our guide.
What is The Truman Show about?
The Truman Show follows the life of Truman Burbank, a child who was the result of an unwanted pregnancy. Instead of aborting him or offering him up for adoption to a family looking for a child, his parents gave him up to a television studio and his life was turned into a reality television show that is filmed 24/7. However, there’s a catch: Truman doesn’t know that he’s in a show.
Truman lives on a gigantic set that he believes is called Seahaven Island. The island is an idyllic spot, populated by crew members, and full of product placements for both Truman and the eager audience. The show’s producers are able to control every facet of Truman’s life, and have discouraged him from seeking to travel beyond Seahaven through a number of means: pretending his father died in a boating accident and constantly sending him fake magazines that proclaim there’s nowhere on earth better to live than Seahaven are the two biggest.
Truman is married to a woman named Meryl, although when in “college” he fell for an extra named Sylvia (who’s called Lauren outside of Seahaven Island), causing her removal from the show. Despite his marriage, Truman still harbors hopes of reconnecting with her, and believes she lives in Fiji. In reality, Sylvia/Lauren has joined a group of activists dedicated to ending the show and granting Truman his freedom.
As Truman approaches the age of 30, he begins to notice more and more strange happenings that curtail his desire to stay on Seahaven Island: a spotlight falls to earth, his car radio accidentally picks up a transmission between crew members that’s describing his movements, and he gets a glance of his father, who’s hurried away before Truman can confront him. Truman soon realizes that happenings on the island seems to revolve entirely around him.
After a number of incidents, including a botched attempt at a road trip, Truman holds Meryl hostage, at which point she breaks character. With Truman’s mental state devolving, the show begins to get record numbers. However, Truman manages to escape and get over the fear of water producers instilled in him with the story about his father, sailing away from the island and eventually hitting a dome that contains Seahaven and the surrounding waters. The producers address him directly, telling him to stay, but he exits through a door instead, where Sylvia and other activists are waiting.
The Truman Show was immediately praised for its brilliant deconstruction of reality television, and is often seen as prescient with regards to our current social media landscape. Although the premise is hardly believable, great performances, a brilliant script, and a perfect blend of comedy and drama push it from an interesting watch into a genuinely great film.
Where can I stream The Truman Show for its 25th anniversary?
If you’re in the U.S., there are two different options to stream The Truman Show for its 25th anniversary. The film is currently streaming on Paramount Plus, but is also available to stream on DirecTV. With that said, you can also rent it from the usual places, like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play, or even buy a digital copy for long-term viewing.
Is The Truman Show on Netflix in other countries?
If you have Netflix and access to a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you can stream The Truman Show using your account with the streaming giant. There are nine countries in which The Truman Show is on Netflix (as of July 4, 2023): Australia, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, and the U.K.
A VPN works by rerouting your I.P address through computers in different countries, so it appears that you’re accessing sites from those nations instead of your own. They’re an excellent tool for increasing online privacy.
Which VPNs are the best to use to stream The Truman Show on Netflix for its 25th anniversary?
If you’re in the U.S and have Netflix, there are a number of different VPN services that you can use to stream The Truman Show for its 25th anniversary while using your account with the popular streaming service. Paid VPN services are the best, and two of the most well regarded are ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
ExpressVPN offers a number of tariffs: you can get one month of the service for $10.52, which is the best option if you only plan on using it to watch The Truman Show. However, as of July 4, 2023, if you sign up for a year it works out at $5.42/month, and you’ll also get an additional three months for free (at a cost of $81.20, which you have to pay in advance). ExpressVPN also offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
NordVPN also has a number of pricing plans. One year of the service works out at $4.99/month ($59.88 for the year), but you can also get just a month for $11.99. Like ExpressVPN, there’s a one month money back guarantee.
Other well regarded VPN services include Surfshark and CyberGhost. Most of the services have apps, too, so users can utilize them on devices like tablets and phones.