The Number 23 is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston and Logan Lerman. It was subsequently released on DVD on July 24, 2007 (23 July in the UK), and premiered on HBO on Saturday April 19, 2008. The plot involves Walter Sparrow and his obsession with the 23 enigma, an esoteric belief that all incidents and events are directly connected to the number 23, some permutation of the number 23, or a number related to 23. This is the second film to pair Schumacher and Carrey, the first being Batman Forever. This is Carrey's first suspense thriller.
Tropes:
- Acting for Two: Aside from the obvious*
(Jim Carrey as Walter and Fingerling)
, there's Virgina Madsen (who plays both Walter's wife and Fingerling's girlfriend, Fabrizia), Danny Huston (as Issac French and Dr. Miles Phoenix) and Lynn Collins (who plays the "Suicide Blonde", the suicidal neighbor Mrs. Dobkins, and Young Fingerling's mother). - Arc Number: Guess.
- Bittersweet Ending: Sure, the murder mystery was solved, and the man wrongfully imprisoned for it was set free. But Walter had turned himself in to police, and was awaiting sentencing for criminal homicide.
Walter Sparrow: Maybe it's not the happiest of endings, but it's the right one. Some day I'll be up for parole, and we can go on living our lives. It's only a matter of time. Of course, time is just a counting system. Numbers with meaning attached to them...isn't it?
- The Call Knows Where You Live
- Driven to Suicide: The Suicide Blonde, Widow Dobkins, Walter's Father, and Walter himself. Twice. (The first time, he survives his attempt; the second time, he stops because he sees his son watching him.
- Hair of Gold: The Suicide Blonde, Mrs. Dobkins, and Fingerling's mother. (Hardly surprising, as they're all portrayed by the same actress.)
- Also, Walter's wife Agatha.
- Hereditary Curse
- It Runs in the Family: Walter's family has a history of mental instability and suicide.
- In the book, the Suicide Blonde tells Fingerling that her family has a history of suicide—and a deep connection to the number 23.
- Interplay of Sex and Violence: Both Lauren Tollins and the fictionalized Fabrizia have a fetish for violence and like to roleplay with knives. Fabrizia even has Fingerling take her to an apartment where a woman killed herself so they can have sex.
- Playing Against Type: Jim Carrey stars as a tragic character, rather than the comedic ones he was known for.
- Twist Ending: The author who wrote the book "The Number 23" is Walter himself.
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