Jim Carrey is one of the greatest movie comedians of all time. His outlandish and absurdist humor has proven successful time and time again, and in the early 2000s, he worked to prove his acting chops after accepting more serious roles. As weird as his views on life and spirituality may be, he is still a comedic staple in the film industry.
In the past decade, Carrey has returned to his comedic roots, reprising his role as Lloyd Christmas in 2014s woeful Dumb and Dumber To and reversing that mistake by playing the villainous Doctor Robotnik in last year’s Sonic the Hedgehog. With Carrey’s career on the rise once again, we bring you this list of the best 11 Jim Carrey movies you must see.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The first Jim Carrey film on this list is not the kind of movie you’d think of when you picture the actor’s silly, distorted face. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an incredible experimental film that tells the love story of Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet, Titanic) as Joel re-lives their two-year affair in the depths of his mind. If you haven’t seen it, we don’t want to spoil anything, just watch it!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of Carrey’s greatest performances simply because it’s not comedic at all. Carrey proves his true acting chops here in a way that he really hasn’t explored since. While it’s more fun to watch him play zealous comedic archetypes, his portrayal of Joel is both honest and pensive and one that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
One of Jim Carrey’s greatest performances is as Dr. Seuss’ infamous character The Grinch, and he plays him masterfully. Between Ron Howard’s artistic vision of Whoville, Arrested Development’s Jeffery Tambor’s charismatic Mayor MayWho, and Carrey’s “Mean One” charm, this film is not only a Christmas classic but a Jim Carrey one as well.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of those Carrey comedies that has a lot more going on under the surface than initially given credit for, warming not only the Grinch’s small heart, but our hearts as well. You don’t have to wait until December to watch this one, Carrey’s Grinch is accessible all year long (provided his schedule allows it). Just make sure you skip Cindy Lou Who’s solo.
3. The Mask (1994)
If you thought Jim Carrey’s filmography only included one green-faced weirdo, then you clearly haven’t seen The Mask. Loosely based on the Dark Horse Comics series of the same name (the first of many comic book roles Carrey would take), this film follows Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss, a loner who puts on a mysterious green mask which transforms him into a cartoon crime-fighter with the personality of a crazy person. It’s basically Jim Carrey as a superhero.
The Mask is one of those quirky comic book-based movies that has a lot of 90s charm and is almost directly responsible for the resurgence of swing music during that decade (seriously). The Mask went on to spin off into an animated series, becoming the first of three Jim Carrey-based animated series that year (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber also spun off into Saturday morning cartoons).
4. The Truman Show (1998)
One of Carrey’s most iconic films, The Truman Show is the story of a 30-something whose entire life has been televised since the day he was born, and if that seems too crazy to believe, the film actually does a really great job at making this absurd storyline seem kind of plausible, and that’s also kind of terrifying. Carrey stars as Truman, who dreams of a life beyond his “hometown” with a girl he only met briefly.
The Truman Show is an interesting look at show business and the reality TV genre. It almost feels like an odd social commentary about how obsessed we are with watching other people’s lives through screens. But be prepared, it’s kind of heartbreaking to watch and might make you wonder if you’ve been living in a simulation your entire life.
5. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
One of Jim Carrey’s most beloved classics, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is one of those movies that just makes you (literally) laugh out loud. Carrey plays Ace Ventura, an unorthodox Miami P.I. who specializes in retrieving both tame and captive animals. The outlandish tone of this film is classic Carrey and is part of its charm.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was so successful a sequel was released within the next year (you know, the one where Jim Carrey is “birthed” from the backside of a rhino).
Fun fact: Jim Carrey actually helped co-write this one, which explains just about everything that you see on screen.
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6. Man on the Moon (1999)
One of Carrey’s more interesting films, Man on the Moon features him in a biographical comedy-drama role as he plays late American entertainer Andy Kaufman. The film chronicles Kaufman’s life, from his time on SNL, Late Night with Letterman, and Fridays, to his role on the television sitcom Taxi and beyond. It’s one of Carrey’s more serious roles, but one he still plays with true comedic timing and effect.
Man on the Moon might be a lesser-known Carrey classic, but it still holds a rightful place in his greater filmography, if not just for the fact that Carrey continued to play Kaufman when the cameras were off. Don’t believe us? The footage was actually repurposed into a Netflix documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, a few years back.
7. Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) star in this wacky ride, Dumb and Dumber, and if you’re wondering who is who… well, it’s kind of unclear. Carrey plays Lloyd Christmas alongside Daniels’ Harry Dunne as they drive from Rhode Island to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase to Mary (Lauren Holly, NCIS), which unbeknownst to them, actually contains ransom money for her husband’s kidnapping.
Dumb and Dumber is a cult classic that you have a one-out-of-a-million chance of having seen by now, but if you haven’t there’s definitely still a chance… (and if you haven’t seen it, re-read this sentence after the movie). It’s a wild ride that will make you laugh, cry, and cringe on repeat.
8. Liar Liar (1997)
This time around, Jim Carrey plays a lawyer who just so happens to be a pathological liar. In an interesting turn of events, Carrey, for 24 hours, is forced to always tell the truth, due to a birthday wish from his son, Max (Justin Cooper, Brother’s Keeper). This, of course, for a lawyer who has built his entire career on lying, proves to be disastrous, and yet you can’t look away.
Liar Liar is a really fun time that makes you wonder what would happen if you could only tell the truth for an entire day, and then immediately realize that it might ruin your life. Carrey gives an incredibly hilarious performance that rivals some of his best.
9. Yes Man (2008)
Ever wonder what would happen if you said “yes” to literally every question or opportunity that came your way? Jim Carrey finds out the hard way in this instant comedy classic, and if you wonder how an entire movie could be made off of that simple concept, wonder no more! Between throwing impromptu bridal showers, taking Korean lessons, and joining “persianwifefinder.com,” this film takes the absurdity up to eleven.
Yes Man is one of Carrey’s greatest because of its heavy reliance on ludacris situational comedy (Carrey’s performance of Jumper by Third Eye Blind is the biggest highlight for sure), and its wonderfully rounded cast, including Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Rhys Darby (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Terrance Stamp (Superman II), and John Michael Higgins (Fred Claus).
10. Bruce Almighty (2003)
Everyone has wondered what it would be like to be God, to have infinite power, and “do things better” than the man upstairs. Well, Jim Carrey takes on the role in Bruce Almighty, and let’s just say there’s a reason God is the one calling the shots. Whether you’re religious or not, this one is a good time that actually produced a spin-off starring Steve Carell (The Office) entitled Evan Almighty.
Bruce Almighty is the third collaboration between Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, who also directed Carrey classics Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar Liar, all solid entries in the filmography of Jim Carrey.
11. The Cable Guy (1996)
The duo of Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) is one that you might not think of whenever you think of comedy duos, but The Cable Guy is a fascinating, and hilarious, look into the mind of a stalker. This one, directed by Ben Stiller (Zoolander), features a well-rounded cast that also includes Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers), Jack Black (Nacho Libre), David Cross (Arrested Development), and Leslie Mann (Blockers).
The Cable Guy features a really devilish Carrey in a role that is unlike any he’s played before but also feels natural given the character’s the comedian usually takes on. His role as “Chip” is funny, sure, but more so kind of terrifying.
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