The Best Jim Carrey Movies, Ranked
While many iconic comedians got their start in the ‘90s, not many of them exploded as quickly as Jim Carrey. He appeared in several shows and movies in the ‘80s, but once he appeared on In Living Color, he quickly became one of the premier cast members. His facial expressions and delivery helped set him apart from everyone else, and he quickly jumped from TV to feature films. To this day, many of Carrey’s comedies are regarded as some of the best of the '90s, and his filmography beyond that is nothing short of impressive.
While Carrey says he’s semi-retired, except for playing Doctor Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, now seems like the perfect time to review his best movies. With a career that spans decades and genres, there’s no shortage of excellent films to choose from to suit whatever mood you’re in.
In 1994, Jim Carrey started to appear everywhere. This year saw the release of three of his most iconic movies: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask. While the first two are great low-brow comedies, The Mask is pure manic joy.
Carrey already acts like a cartoon character, so seeing him transform from a meek banker to a loud and erratic psychopath is fitting. Carrey chews the scenery when he becomes the living embodiment of chaos and has an absolute blast doing so. The film is reminiscent of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, not only because of how The Mask mixes live-action and animation, but because it also understands the physics of cartoons. Everything that The Mask does feels like a cartoon come to life, which has some hilarious side effects on all of the humans he interacts with. If you love zany comedies, regardless of whether they’re animated or live-action, then The Mask is bound to delight you.
Carrey is known for being lighthearted and goofy. He’s the guy who always appears fun to be around and knows how to make people laugh with his sanctioned buffoonery. But that’s also what makes The Cable Guy such a strange yet captivating movie for the actor. He’s not the charming hero here. Instead, he’s actually the creepy and socially awkward villain. While plenty of Carrey’s eccentric charm exists in this 96-minute movie, The Cable Guy is far darker than any of his earlier comedies. He still has his same comic timing and delivery, but it’s all presented so uncomfortably that it makes his character feel creepy and disturbed.
Because of the way that Carrey interacts with Matthew Broderick, he feels like a prototype of Fight Club’s Tyler Durden. Granted, The Cable Guy never becomes quite as dark as that film. Still, the psychological trauma that Carrey inflicts on Broderick is eerily reminiscent of the way Durden manipulates Edward Norton’s character into doing what he says. The Cable Guy is a pitiful character, but he’s empathetic thanks to his addiction to television and his genuine desire for social connection. Those looking for dark comedy or want to see Carrey at his creepiest will come to understand why this film has become a cult classic.
While Carrey tends to be celebrated for his comedic performances, he has some considerable dramatic chops. He does a fantastic job at playing a sympathetic hero, and by far his most sympathetic role is as Truman Burbank in The Truman Show.
The Truman Show is an interesting blend of drama and comedy, as we follow Truman and his synthetic life created for ratings. It’s a cerebral film, but not quite as imposing as something like Inception. Much like Pleasantville, the joy of The Truman Show is watching the fabricated world collapse, not because we want to see the show fail, but because we want to see Truman live his own life. Carrey imbues Truman with such charisma that you can’t help but root for him to succeed. It’s not all drama, though, and fans of Carrey’s comedy style will still feel at home in The Truman Show. So if you want a life-affirming movie similar to The Life of Chuck about the joys of being alive, then you should give The Truman Show a shot.
If you were just looking at box office numbers, you would probably think that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a failure for Carrey when compared to his earlier films. While the movie may not have earned hundreds of millions of dollars, it more than made up for it with tenderness, empathy, and heart.
Simply put, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is Carrey’s best film, bar none. While it doesn’t have the comedy you would expect from his earlier performances, he, alongside Kate Winslet, offers one of the most inventive sci-fi romances of all time. The film presents their romance in a non-linear fashion, which may take a bit to adjust to, but once it clicks, you’ll be captivated. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for an unconventional romance, but it’s far more than that. It’s a human movie, with Carrey clearly elevating elements of his performance from The Truman Show to make Joel as believable as he is. If you found yourself enjoying the tragic love that blossomed in movies like Her, then Eternal Sunshine is right up your alley.
While Carrey would eventually fade from the leading man role as the 21st century dragged on, he became one of the most popular elements of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Carrey has embraced his role as Doctor Eggman, and if you want to see his best rendition of the character, look no further than Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Channeling his Riddler performance from Batman Forever, Carrey plays the good doctor as an eccentric oddball who can’t help but revel in his villainy. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 bets big on Carrey, since he pulls double duty as both the younger Eggman, Ivo, and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. It’s two dramatically different performances, with Ivo being the classic cartoony Carrey fans of Ace Ventura will love, while Gerald is colder and more manipulative. At times, it can be a bit much, but Carrey is such a lovable bad guy that you can’t help but like him. Kids will love his goofy antics, and older Carrey fans will feel right at home with his performance. Most of Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s one hour and fifty-minute runtime is dedicated to Carrey’s shenanigans, so if you love his work, it is a must-watch.
