Meta movies have defied traditional means of storytelling. Whether through on-the-nose imagery or a throw-away one-liner or two, these films are grounded in self-awareness. This filmmaking style allows the film itself to have a conversation with the audience directly. The meta-process shatters the fourth wall and immerses the viewer into the world of the movie. It is a clever process of filmmaking that a few motion pictures have set high standards for.
Updated August 26th, 2023, byDarren Gigool: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant, with even more information and new entries.
One of the most important and key components of establishing a meta world is having the world be compelling enough for the audience to care. This can be done by having characters that are interesting and relatable and somehow are reaching out to the audience consciously or subconsciously. That relatability will allow for a seamless transition that will bring the audience into the world of the film and the minds of its characters. Here are some of the most prominent.
15Stranger than Fiction
An omnipresent narrator shadows every move, painting a unique picture of one’s life. InStranger than Fiction, Harold Crick confronts such an uncanny predicament. His ordinary life veers off course when an unseen narrator predicts his impending end.
Treading unfamiliar narrative paths, the film delves deep into the genesis of creation. It narrates an uncanny tango between author and subject, smudging reality’s clear-cut borders. Does the storyteller truly control their characters' fate? Can preordained futures change? audiences are left pondering with such groundbreaking questions after the movie is done. Heralded for its inventive narrative,Stranger than Fictionwon hearts universally.
14Truman Show
Gripping in nature,The Truman Showunravels Truman Burbank’s seemingly mundane existence. Truman believes he resides in a charming town. Then unveiled is a truth - a vast television set houses his life. Surrounding him are actors, masterfully masquerading as genuine residents.
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Beautifully chronicled,The Truman Showtraces one man’s quest for truth. The film offers deep insights, shedding light on society’s obsession with reality television. Through the film, questions arise about the lines between genuine reality and its manufactured counterpart. Jim Carrey ventured beyond his comedic roots, earning accolades for his evocative portrayal of Truman, and added another touch of brilliance to the film.
13Funny Games
Chilling and visceral, this movie exposes a family’s hellish vacation ordeal. Anticipating serene relaxation, the family becomes prey to two deceivingly polite youths. Ensuing are gruesome “games” that test human resilience. Far beyond a typical horror flick,Funny Gamesprompts introspection. Director Michael Haneke shapes a story, challenging audiences about their appetite for on-screen savagery. Implicitly presented is a simple but loaded question: Might audiences share blame for escalating violence shown in media?
A mixed reception greetedFunny Gamesupon release. Some praised its unapologetic examination of media’s violent underbelly, while others recoiled from its stark truths. Yet, undeniably, the movie provoked intense debates, emphasizing Haneke’s aim to spotlight society’s grim entertainment choices.
12Annie Hall
Woody Allen’sAnnie Hallconstantly breaks the fourth wall and even brings the audience in on certain instances of wars waged on words and wit. Woody Allen’s dialogue is so unique, as the conversations play almost like action sequences. They take such unpredictable twists and turns… and those turns get quite meta. The movie theater sequence, in particular, breaks the fourth wall and utilizes the freedom of the movie structure itself to allow its protagonist to win an argument and get his point across. It is followed by one of the more iconic and fitting lines of dialogue in the film:
Alvy - “Boy, if life were like this.”
11Spaceballs
WhileSpaceballsis a brilliant parody of a variety of science fiction films and genre tropes, Mel Brooks incorporates self-aware fourth wall-breaking humor. From on-screen battles that leave crew members sliced injured to hilarious bits about film marketing, there are many instances of self-aware humor. One scene in particular exemplifies a movie-within-the-movie style of writing and directing. Rick Moranis’ Dark Helmet watches the video cassette ofSpaceballsto track down Lone Starr, then finds where they are in the middle of making it. He discusses the concept of real-time with his right hand Colonel Sandurz:
Dark Helmet: “When does this happen in the movie?"
Sandurz: “Now, you’re looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now is happening now."
Dark Helmet: “What happened to ‘then?'”
Sandurz: “We past ‘then.'”
Dark Helmet: “When?”
Sandurz: “Just now. We’re at ‘now’ now.”
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10Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds gives plenty of winks to the camera, either literally or figuratively, in this critically acclaimed comic book film.Deadpoolbecame instantly popular because it acknowledges the audience through the fourth wall breaks by the titular character. The comic book accuracy of this character instantly draws eyes to the screen. Once the audience is hooked after that firstintense and hilariously action-packed sequence, they get to sit back and allow Wade Wilson to take us all on a ride. It is like the camera is the silent sidekick following Deadpool, who is enamored by the attention. It’s a great concept and a fantastic blockbuster that will hold up for decades.
9Monty Python and the Holy Grail
TheMonty Pythonfranchise is quite famous for its unconventional humor that has become a cult success. However,Monty Python and the Holy Grailis a classic amongst most comedies of recent decades. Retelling the story of King Arthur in a way that placates to the audience with trick after trick. From the hilarious opening credit sequence to the wild ending where the characters are faced with the modern reality they are living in. However, a lot of the elements of the film that are unconventional and meta were actually executed out of budget necessity.
John Cleese told Seth Meyers that the famous half-clanking coconuts were used in the place of horse sounds because they could not afford the horses themselves. It unknowingly would become one of the more iconic elements of the film, but done simply out of monetary deficit. Cleese most cleverly states in the interview:
“Necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes when you don’t have much, and you have to improvise, that’s sometimes when the very best ideas come through.”
822 Jump Street
The first21 Jump Streetis a meta-movie about the nature of adapting classic television series into movies, but22 Jump Streettakes the whole premise to the next level. It is a movie all about making a sequel to21 Jump Streetand recapturing the formula, where the characters even acknowledge it is the same case and they need to do the same thing. Jokes are made about how they got a bigger budget. Everything has to be bigger and more expensive, as is the nature of sequels.
The film even ends with a montage of hypothetical sequels of them going into various schools, a big joke about how long-running franchises will stretch their premise. They even get a great joke where one of the sequels has Seth Rogen replace Jonah Hill’s character, only for Hill to return in the following film after a contract dispute was solved in a similar manner to how Sean Connery returned to James Bond after sitting outOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It is a hilarious movie that stands as a great comedy sequel about making a comedy sequel.
Eerie tranquility engulfs the small town as a relentless killer emerges. This murderer, unlike his predecessors in the horror movie genre, employs a novel tactic: he referencesiconic horror tropes while attacking. It’s on these cinematic nuances thatScreamthrives, pushing its characters beyond mere victims, making them aware of a horror movie’s “dos and don’ts.” Such self-aware jests lend each moment a palpable mix of suspense and sarcasm.
Revolutionary in its approach,Screamdid more than showcase a new breed of murderer. It reinvigorated the dwindling horror landscape. Its brilliance triggered a wave of follow-ups, ensuring cinema-goers remained on edge.
6Being John Malkovich
The filmmaking duo of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman are notorious for their self-awareness and originality.Being John Malkovichis a rather odd film but brilliant in its execution of bending reality. The film communicates to the audience this sense of a cartoonish version of our own world, which can be manipulated. As the puppeteer Craig Schwartz (played by John Cusack) discovers the world through the eyes of acclaimedmovie star John Malkovichthrough a tunnel behind a file cabinet, it only gets purposefully stranger.
