The best movie showing an actor playing an actor on Netflix: ‘May December’
Netflix is home to diverse genres of films and an equally eccentric set of actors, who don the skin of anyone and everyone. But if Jay Kelly left you yearning for movies where actors practically play themselves, we have the best one on Netflix for you to pay attention to: May December.
The psychological black comedy drama originally premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, with Netflix acquiring the North American distribution rights. Since its release, May December has undoubtedly become one of the most talked-about movies of all time, and definitely not without reason.
May December stars Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry, an actor who travels to Savannah, Georgia, to learn more about the person, Gracie Atherton-Yoo, she will be playing in an upcoming independent film. Gracie is a woman who gained notoriety for her scandalous affair with a 13-year-old boy in 1992, which subsequently led to her imprisonment and the birth of their three children.
Years later, when Elizabeth comes to live with the now-married couple to research and prepare for the role she’s eying, she inadvertently unravels the complex layer of the family’s shared dynamics, exploring the lasting impact of trauma with a stark social commentary on the overbearing themes of exploitation and tabloid culture.
May December picks up the story from when Elizabeth infiltrates the family’s lives, unknowingly creating an awkward tension and discomfort as her husband grapples with the ghosts of his past. As the movie progresses, the lines between memory and performance slowly begin to dissolve.
While the scandal was once a fixture of gossip pages, May December captures the narrative’s evolution from sensationalism to reality. It retraces the story to highlight how it has been a lived experience, drawing parallels to the infamous media circus surrounding the affair, serving as an eye-opener for popular culture that fails to draw the line.
In essence, the journey George Clooney embarks on in Jay Kelly as an actor is profoundly distinct and different. However, if you want another meta experience of another actor playing an actor in a movie, May December is where the search should end on Netflix.
From Golden Globes to Academy Awards, May December has been nominated multiple times in various acclaimed categories. While Portman most certainly nailed her part, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton ensured the spotlight didn’t dim on each other.
Although May December was no less than a cinematic phenomenon of the recent past, for those still out of the loop, the black comedy drama is currently streaming on Netflix.