Being John Malkovich

Craig Schwartz, a puppeteer struggling with his career and personal life, finds himself in a stagnant marriage with Lotte. Her obsession with pets leaves Craig feeling increasingly isolated and unfulfilled.

Craig secures a job as a file clerk at LesterCorp, thanks to the intervention of Dr. Lester. He begins working in the strange, low-ceilinged offices located in the Mertin Flemmer Building in New York City.

While at work, Craig becomes infatuated with his colleague, Maxine. However, his feelings are unreciprocated, causing him further emotional turmoil in his already complicated love life.

Craig stumbles upon a small hidden door behind a filing cabinet that transports him into the mind of actor John Malkovich for fifteen minutes. This extraordinary experience leaves him both thrilled and intrigued.

Realizing the potential of the portal, Craig reveals it to Maxine, and they devise a plan to charge people $200 for the chance to experience life through Malkovich's perspective. Their scheme attracts considerable attention.

Lotte learns about the portal and becomes fascinated, using it to explore her transgender aspirations. This leads her to develop feelings for Maxine, creating a complex love triangle that complicates all their lives.

Feeling betrayed by Lotte and Maxine, Craig locks Lotte in a cage. Meanwhile, he uses Malkovich's body to connect with Maxine, causing the actor to descend into paranoia over losing control of his identity.

Determined to uncover the mystery behind the bizarre occurrences, Malkovich follows Maxine to the Mertin Flemmer Building. He tries the portal himself, finding an unsettling world where everyone is him, endlessly repeating his name.

Malkovich confronts Craig on the turnpike, demanding the closure of the portal as he becomes increasingly cognizant of the mind games at play. However, Craig refuses to comply, heightening the tension.

In a bid to save herself, Lotte escapes and alerts Maxine to Craig's manipulative behavior. Initially upset, Maxine is drawn back into the scheme as she realizes the thrill of the experiences.

Lotte consults Dr. Lester about the portal’s secrets and learns about its precariousness as it relates to Malkovich's age. He explains how the ownership of the portal could transfer upon Malkovich's 44th birthday.

Taking advantage of the situation, Craig lives in Malkovich's body for eight months, achieving fame as a puppeteer and even marrying Maxine. However, tension builds as Malkovich's birthday approaches.

As Malkovich's 44th birthday nears, Dr. Lester concocts a blackmail plan against Maxine, intending to manipulate Craig into relinquishing control of the portal. This leads to a desperate fight for identity and power.

During the chaos, Maxine reveals a shocking truth: she is pregnant with Craig's child, conceived during her time with Lotte inside Malkovich. This revelation solidifies their complex bond amidst growing tensions.

In a final twist, Craig exits Malkovich's persona only to find himself trapped in the body of Maxine and Lotte's child, Emily. Now a mere spectator in their lives, he watches their happiness unfold from her perspective.