What is Manufactured Reality?:Parallels Between The Truman Show and The Matrix

Abstract

This paper will analyze The Truman Show and The Matrix from a philosophical lens. Both films provide context to many theories–one regarding manufactured realities, another about truth, and the other connecting to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Following this brief introduction, each theory will have its own chapter, containing examples from the film which contextualize the theory. After describing these theories and their role along with pertinence in the film, this paper will provide an argument for which theory is best articulated by The Truman Show and The Matrix.