The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

55% Tomatometer 80 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings

Oddball cable installer Chip Douglas (Jim Carrey) attempts to strike up a friendship with customer Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) by offering him premium channels at no cost. When Steven rebuffs Chip's frequent need for companionship, Chip goes from a mildly eccentric acquaintance to a full-fledged psycho stalker. Though it's increasingly apparent to Steven that the cable guy is dangerous, convincing his friends, family and the authorities of that is another matter entirely.

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Critics Consensus

The Cable Guy's dark flashes of thought-provoking, subversive wit are often -- but not always -- enough to counter its frustratingly uneven storytelling approach.

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The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Patrick Z. McGavin Chicago Reader ...on the whole The Cable Guy is about as subversive a mainstream comedy as you’ll find... Rated: 2/4 Jun 14, 2022 Full Review The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Dave Kehr New York Daily News The Cable Guy is a gutsy move on Carrey's part, suggesting a willingness to grow just where commercial good sense would say to stand pat. Rated: 3/4 Mar 11, 2019 Full Review The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Ryan Gilbey Independent (UK) It barely matters that The Cable Guy fails [to satirize TV], because it is crammed with other pleasures, not least Carrey, who lets us glimpse the human being behind the sociopath. Dec 12, 2018 Full Review The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Sheila Reid Women in the Life You'll be surprised when you find yourself laughing out loud. May 31, 2022 Full Review The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (5) James Croot Stuff.co.nz As with Reality Bites two years earlier, director Stiller makes some astute observations about Generation X and its love of television - and media in general. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 20, 2021 Full Review The Cable Guy | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Gena Radcliffe The Spool Just on paper Chip is an unsettling character, but it's Carrey who really brings him to horrifying life. Jun 16, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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John C ‘The Cable Guy’ is – apparently – so awful that even ‘The Simpsons’ made a joke about it. A little harsh, in my opinion. But, to give Homer credit, he did mention how it ruined Jim Carey’s career, which it did – sort of. To say that the rubber-faced funnyman never worked again would be an exaggeration, but it did show that not everything he touched was Box Office gold.People were used to him being a loveable eccentric whose over-the-top antics endeared him to the masses. Not a deranged – and slightly psychopathic – stalker. Definitely not that.Mathew Broderick plays an everyman (doesn’t he always?) who has recently moved out of his girlfriend’s house and is now living on his own. However, when getting his new pad hooked up with cable TV, the installer (yes, Carrey) develops a rather unhealthy obsession with him.What follows is Broderick trying to desperately regain control of his life while a – clearly bonkers – stalker tries to be his friend in the worst ways possible.Yes, Carrey is still as over-the-top as ever, but you will certainly not root for him at all and pray you ever encounter anyone like him in your day to day life.But, the question people ask is, ‘Is it actually funny?’ The answer kind of depends on your sense of humour. Yes, there is certainly fun to be had here, but the laughs come from a much darker place than Carrey’s previous efforts.It’s one of those films that’s best enjoyed if you know what you’re getting. The reason it failed at the Box Office was because audiences were expecting a light-hearted comedy and they got something much more akin to a horror film. As long as that’s your thing there’s plenty to find entertaining here, plus you have one of the earliest films that Ben Stiller actually directed before he got famous in front of the camera. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Thomas R Could be worse but could be better Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/02/24 Full Review Uynga U I love Jim Carrey very good actres Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review Bahad j The movie was a very exciting adventure from start to finish Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/16/24 Full Review Victor P The Cable Guy does have funny moments from the start, but Jim Carrey goes bizarre, creepy, and over the top in the third act. I didn't laugh that much. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Audience Member What an overlooked masterpiece. The movie didn’t resonate with me when it came out and I was also a young 16 year old kid. However over the years I find myself laughing at this movie hysterically and panning Jim’s earlier movies like ace venture. This dark comedy is more in sync with my humour today and it will definitely make you laugh if you give it another shot. It’s a cult classic today and rightly so. What else could be said but it was ahead of its time. Cliche yes. But cliches can be absolutely true and this movie is absolutely funny today. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Ben Stiller Director Jim Carrey Cable Guy Matthew Broderick Steven M. Kovacs Leslie Mann Robin Harris Jack Black Rick George Segal Steven's Father
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The Cable Guy

The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Cable Nightmare The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Cable Nightmare 2:12 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Prison Visit The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Prison Visit 2:06 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Satellite Fight The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Satellite Fight 1:11 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Porno Password The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Porno Password 2:01 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Cable Install Time The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Cable Install Time 2:10 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Welcome to Medieval Times The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Welcome to Medieval Times 2:13 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Roundball Warm-Up The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Roundball Warm-Up 0:58 The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Illegal Cable The Cable Guy: Official Clip - Illegal Cable 1:01 View more videos

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Synopsis Oddball cable installer Chip Douglas (Jim Carrey) attempts to strike up a friendship with customer Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) by offering him premium channels at no cost. When Steven rebuffs Chip's frequent need for companionship, Chip goes from a mildly eccentric acquaintance to a full-fledged psycho stalker. Though it's increasingly apparent to Steven that the cable guy is dangerous, convincing his friends, family and the authorities of that is another matter entirely.

Director
Ben Stiller

Producer
Andrew Licht, Jeffrey A. Mueller, Judd Apatow

Screenwriter
Lou Holtz Jr.

Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation

Rating
PG-13

Genre
Comedy

Original Language
English

Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA)
$60.2M

Runtime
1h 31m

Sound Mix
Surround
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