← Apex Mountain

Being John Malkovich

1999 · directed by Spike Jonze · 113 min
25,614 feet · Prominence
324th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw48

Lifetime worldwide gross $23m, re-releases included; about $45m in 2026 money.

Rank4,431 of 11,051In 199989 of 196

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise95

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics92 baseAwards66 signal → +3 lift

Oscars3 nominated Director, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay
Golden Globes4 nominated Best Picture, Supporting Actress, Supporting acting, Screenplay
BAFTAs1 won Original Screenplay2 nominated Supporting acting, Craft and other
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy68

Judged directly: Surreal cult classic, Kaufman signature.

Verdict68 of 100IMDb7.7 from 367kWikipedia44k views a monthAge27 years

On the listsCriterion Collectionevidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 352 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 48 praise 95 legacy 68averages 70, placing it at25,614 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Catherine Keener

In these careers — elevation for this film

John Malkovich19,929 ftCatherine Keener19,768 ftJohn Cusack19,402 ftCameron Diaz18,851 ftSean Penn17,661 ftOctavia Spencer17,659 ftCharlie Sheen17,657 ftBrad Pitt17,649 ft