Inside the Delightmare Behind One of Laura Linney’s Worst Movies

Laura Linney is here to remind us that even seasoned, award-winning actors don’t always get to skip the awkward, wild first chapters of their careers. In fact, Linney herself has a certain fondness for one of her earliest cinematic 'disasters'—and let’s just say, it involves killer gorillas, an inexplicable laser, and a lost diamond mine.

Congo: The Movie Linney Calls a ‘Delightmare’

If you’ve ever stumbled across Congo on cable—or you’re just a fan of 90s jungle adventure gone totally bonkers—you know the one. Linney starred in the 1995 Michael Crichton adaptation as Dr. Karen Ross, a former CIA agent and electronics whiz joining a desperate trip into the deepest part of the Congo to rescue a missing expedition (plus, of course, find some mythical diamonds). Even on paper, it’s the sort of premise that makes you double-check for a laugh track.

Critics and audiences weren’t exactly kind. The reviews ranged from unimpressed to openly bewildered, but here’s the kicker: the thing made bank. On a $50 million budget, Congo clawed (sorry) its way to $152 million at the box office. Sometimes bad movies are just that watchable.

Linney Looks Back with a Smile (and a Wince)

These days, Linney is unbothered by the movie’s less-than-stellar reputation—actually, she’s almost affectionate about it. Here’s her standout quote from a chat with The Independent:

'Congo's one of the great bad movies of our time! It’s a great one. It's a delightmare. That’s what I call it.'

Linney says she hasn’t revisited Congo in ages, but she looks forward to watching it again when she’s 'really old and want[s] to feel good about [herself].' She jokes she’ll look back and think, 'Oh God, I was young. I was sweet—look at that. And look at my arms!'

Suits, Apes, and Some Honest Comparisons

For those wondering what it was actually like on set, Linney’s stories just get weirder. Years later, chatting with Collider, she compared the Congo experience with more modern motion capture work (like all that turtle wrangling in the Ninja Turtles reboot). Her big takeaway? Congo had 'little girls in ape outfits.'

According to Linney, newer motion-capture gigs feel completely different—'you're looking into a human face'—while on Congo, the makeshift gorillas were just kids in bulky animal suits. She didn’t hate it: the vibe on set was apparently fun, even if the results were… mixed.

'Parts of that movie worked, and some of it didn’t,' Linney says bluntly. Sounds about right.

The Nuts and Bolts of Congo

• Released: 1995
• Budget: $50 million
• Box office: $152 million
• Plot: Rescue mission in the Congo turns into a slapstick struggle against killer apes and shadowy corporate types (plus a doomed search for diamonds, because 90s action movies gotta 90s)
• Main cast: Laura Linney as Dr. Karen Ross (ex-CIA, electronics genius), with a large supporting cast of actors pretending not to laugh at the dialogue
• Legacy: Known less for its artistry, more for its sheer 'can you believe this got made?' spectacle

So there it is: Laura Linney, Emmy winner, serious dramatic star, is proud (in her own sarcastic way) of what’s arguably one of the most entertaining movie trainwrecks of the 90s. Next time Congo pops up on your streaming service, take her advice—watch it, laugh, and maybe admire her arms.