Movie Jail: The People vs. Matthew McConaughey

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Ever wonder what happens to actors and filmmakers who stop making good films and start releasing bad ones? They land themselves in Movie Jail! JoBlo.com readers will act as the jury to hold celebrities accountable for the diminishing quality of films, while still taking into full account their entire career. While they won't actually spend any time behind bars, this is a fun way for you to voice your opinion as to whether a few bad movies discredits an entire career. So, read through the evidence on both sides and let us know in the comments whether this week's defendant deserves to go to MOVIE JAIL!

The Defendant: Matthew McConaughey

The Charges: 

Matthew McConaughey is charged with mis-use of a career revivial by squandering his Oscar glory on subpar films. McConaughey did maliciously and willingly drive multiple potential franchises into the ground over the course of his career and therefore must be placed into Movie Jail for his crimes.

The Prosecution

EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION, THE WEDDING PLANNER, HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS, SAHARA, FOOL'S GOLD, GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST, SURFER DUDE, GOLD, THE DARK TOWER, SERENITY

After twenty years in the film industry, Matthew McConaughey hit it big from 2013-2014, McConaughey starred in a handful of acclaimed films, both in lead and supporting capacities. Capped with Best Actor at the Academy Awards, Matthew McConaughey looked like he was finally getting the recognition he deserved. But, then he took every single role that was offered to him, for better or worse. Most of the time, they were for the worse and yet he continues to headline film after film.

For two decades, McConaughey played the same role over and over in romantic comedies while trying to act in dramatic films like A TIME TO KILL, AMISTAD, and THE LINCOLN LAWYER. But, despite these movies, he kept on making terrible, terrible films like GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST and FAILURE TO LAUNCH. While countless actors would take less money to make better quality movies, McConaughey continued to just churn out shit for the paycheck.

With failed franchises behind him (SAHARA) and even after he won the Oscar (THE DARK TOWER), Matthew McConaughey continues to follow huge films like INTERSTELLAR with lackluster fare like THE SEA OF TREES and FREE STATE OF JONES. The only difference between SURFER, DUDE and THE BEACH BUM is a gold statue on his mantle. For every DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, we have double the awful with flicks like SERENITY and GOLD. McConaughey has proven time and again he will throw everything at the screen in the hopes that at least a few things will stick. That is not the way to stay out of Movie Jail.

The Defense

EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE: INTERSTELLAR, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE BEACH BUM, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, MAGIC MIKE, WHITE BOY RICK, DAZED AND CONFUSED, KILLER JOE, MUD, REIGN OF FIRE, True Detective

Matthew McConaughey has worked his ass off to get where he is today. Taking a step back from his romantic comedy plateau in the late 90s and early 2000s, Mr. McConaughey did what every actor does: he reassessed and started over. With indie fare like BERNIE, KILLER JOE, and MUD, Matthew McConaughey rebranded himself from good looking star to hard-working actor. From his ripped physique in MAGIC MIKE to his emaciated and enthralling performance in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, McConaughey has shown his worth on screen.

Few actors can amass in their entire careers the quality that Matthew McConaughey worked on from 2011 to 2014. You don't get cast in films by Steven Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan because you are a hack. That trifecta is an actor's dream and McConaughey achieved it. He even headlined one of the single greatest seasons of television in HBO's True Detective and remains a producer on the series to this day.

No actor will hit a home run with every film and McConaughey has his share of recent failures including THE DARK TOWER, GOLD, and SERENITY, but none of them were for lack of effort on his part. If you watch the man work, Matthew McConaughey is still delivering performances that tower over his early work and continues to show why he is one of the best working today. From his pitch perfect cameo iN BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE to his upcoming THE GENTLEMEN, McConaughey looks to be once again hitting a winning streak.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS

Matthew McConaughey is an actor who was poised to become a matinee idol before being relegated to romantic comedies. After plowing his trade in indie films, he won top honors at the Academy Awards and has since tried his hand at a wide array of films. While more of these have failed than succeeded, does that warrant enough of a crime to land Mr. McConaughey in Movie Jail? Should he be given a free pass simply because most of his films are just alright, alright, alright? You decide.

*The cases for and against a defendant going to Movie Jail by the author are not necessarily his views and opinions but they are some of the beliefs that one would use to effectively make an argument for both sides. Not quite a devil's advocate but you get the point. Anyway, this is all in fun so don't take it too seriously. We have a separate jail for those people called "Troll Tower" and believe me you do NOT want to go there.

WHAT SAY YOU: GUILTY OR NOT?

Here is your change to make your voice heard. You are the Jury! Let us know in the comments below whether you find Matthew McConaughey INNOCENT or GUILTY and we will share the verdict in two weeks! Remember: this is all for fun. No celebrities have been harmed in the creation of this column.

LAST WEEK'S VERDICT: NOT GUILTY

Despite a vocal contingent of haters, it appears the JoBlo.com Jury overwhelmingly like Anne Hathaway. Her acting talent has carried her to worthy acclaim and she has more than earned the right to make some mediocre and bad films. With so much solid work under her belt, Ms. Hathaway is free to go on all charges.