Stranger Than Fiction

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Stranger Than Fiction

PG-13

2006

1h 45m

Comedy

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

176 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A mentally unstable IRS auditor (Will Ferrell) hears an author's (Emma Thompson) voice in his head and discovers that he is the ill-fated protagonist of her latest work. While a book-company employee (Queen Latifah) tries to cure the author's case of writer's block, the auditor and a professor (Dustin Hoffman) set out to find the woman and make her change her story.

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Critics Consensus

A fun, whimsical tale about an office drone trying to save his life from his narrator, Stranger Than Fiction features a subdued performances from Will Ferrell that contributes mightily to its quirky, mind-bending affect.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

06/05/2023

The ending may be mush, but the rest has surprising bite.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/22/2018

There just isn't enough wit or style or verve to pull it off. It takes a great premise and then not only fails to run with it, but also fails to go absolutely anywhere with it at all.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

03/24/2007

Stranger Than Fiction never rises above its eye-catching premise, ending up as nothing more than a great idea with absolutely nowhere to go.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

04/26/2025

There’s more than a touch of Charlie Kaufman absurdity to Zach Helm’s screenplay but it’s warmer and less caustic in the way it uses fantasy to plumb human emotions and examines the nature of storytelling.

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/20/2019

Helm's strong script is aided by superb direction from Marc Forster and a top-notch cast.

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

11/03/2018

4/5

The manic spirit of Preston Sturges has a hold of this voyage of self-discovery that's packed with laughs and brilliant performances. Thompson in particular hasn't been this inspired for a long time.

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Sedale S

@sedale143 Jul 18

Such a product of the time movie. Would love go see a newer version of this done today.

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Nick H

@RT65301951 Jul 4

A funny, emotional, and thought provoking movie.

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Ezra R

@ejrrrr May 9

Meta meta cool cool cool

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din D

@L1J2K3 May 8

A great and smart love story and just like Truman Show and moment in time seeing a crazy actor act seriously and well. This showing for Will Ferrel's true ability and a strong love story creates an awesome movie. The story is so good/smart and its executed just about perfectly.

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Michael G.

@micgriffin12 Apr 20

Odd but nice. Heartwarming and creative movie comes outta left field. Maggie Gyllenhaal severely underrated.

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Paul E.

@PassoutTomatoes Mar 19

Original, great cast, well acted. High tension plot that is fully and beautifully resolved.

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Marc Forster

Director

Will Ferrell

Harold Crick

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Ana Pascal

Dustin Hoffman

Dr. Jules Hilbert

Queen Latifah

Penny Escher

Emma Thompson

Kay Eiffel

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Synopsis

A mentally unstable IRS auditor (Will Ferrell) hears an author's (Emma Thompson) voice in his head and discovers that he is the ill-fated protagonist of her latest work. While a book-company employee (Queen Latifah) tries to cure the author's case of writer's block, the auditor and a professor (Dustin Hoffman) set out to find the woman and make her change her story.

Director: Marc Forster
Producer: Lindsay Doran
Screenwriter: Zach Helm
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Production Co: Columbia, Mandate Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Nudity|Brief Language|Sexuality|Some Disturbing Images)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.1M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)