Alrighty then! The best Jim Carrey movies are sure to tickle your funny bone anytime you’re looking for a laugh. During his acting marathon era, there were several eras. We have the “Jim Carrey comedy superstar” movies and then his “working with serious directors to make art movies” phase, all of which are mixed into our list. Let’s dive into the work of this beloved actor that continues to put smiles on faces around the world.
Some nights, people aren’t in the mood for a good scare or an action-packed journey as heroes save the world. Sometimes, TV viewers just want a light-hearted, feel-good movie to cap off the day. Like a good old-fashioned Jim Carrey movie. Now, a new study is revealing which factors make feel-good movies so appealing. In addition to the element of humor and the classic happy ending, moments of drama are also a major aspect of feel-good films, researchers say. That being said, the overall mood of most of these movies is pretty light, so even during those tense moments, there’s still an element of overall lightness to the story. The audience knows no one will die or suffer another horrible fate. In summation, study authors say a delicate mix of all these elements combines to create the quintessential “feel-good” film.
It’s a good thing these funny flicks tend to turn our frowns upside down because according to a new poll of 2,000 millennial parents with kids between four and 12, the average mom or dad watches five hours of TV shows or movies when home sick. More than half the poll (56%) have a go-to or favorite feel-better comfort movie, with the average person saying they can watch it four times in a row without getting sick of it. In fact, 45 percent of those admit they can watch it more than four times and one in 10 of those (11%) even say they can watch it an infinite amount of times. That’s a lot of “Yes Mans”.
Everyone has their opinions, but StudyFinds has checked in with 10 expert websites to find the best Jim Carrey movies out of all of his hilarious creations. Find out below which films fan sites love most. If we missed your favorite, please leave it in the comments below!
The List: Best Jim Carrey Movies, According to Comedy Experts
1. “Liar Liar” (1997)
If you’ve heard of “The Claw” then you’ve probably seen “Liar Liar”. Jim Carrey had his goofball movies, and he had his more serious roles. “Liar Liar is a combination of the two. Liar Liar, a high-concept comedy about a slimy lawyer (Carrey) who, because of a birthday wish from his son, cannot tell a single lie. This turns out to be an extremely fruitful idea for a comedy, as the lawyer keeps running into situations in which his particular affliction is incredibly inconvenient. But he also gets a redemption arc that, particularly at this point in Carrey’s career, is surprisingly moving; Carrey has that normal-guy mode he can shift into that really works when he gets it right. Plus: We’ve been using ‘The Claw’ on little kids for 23 years because of this movie. They love it,” says Vulture.
🎬'Liar, Liar' starring Jim Carrey premiered in theaters 26 years ago, March 21, 1997 pic.twitter.com/7h7SyQ8MwK
— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) March 22, 2023
Consider how uneventful it would be if someone were actually forced to tell the truth all of the time. But when Jim Carrey does it, pure magic. “Now, hear me out. Liar Liar might not have the dramatic heft of a Truman Show or an Eternal Sunset. And it might not have the all-out laser focus of Dumb and Dumber or Ace Ventura. But it is nevertheless Carrey’s best film. Watch Carrey writhe and contort in the fruitless pursuit of a lie. Watch it take over his entire body. Better yet, this film gave him a family for the first time, rooting his mania in something identifiable. At this stage in his career, Carrey was pumping out films at a prodigious rate – this was his seventh in three years – and he was figuring out new moves at every turn. In Liar Liar, he figured out the impossible: how to be a human being,” states The Guardian.
Carrey’s dedication as an unethical lawyer and father who constantly disappoints his son is one of his best performances. The Gold Derby describes Jim’s character, “After a career misstep with the much-maligned The Cable Guy Carrey bounced back with this film about a lawyer who is unable to lie (a career imperative for most in that profession) due to his son’s wishing for this. Carrey is a burst of comic energy as he is compelled to say what he really thinks and not able to hold back any of his real thoughts.”
2. “Dumb and Dumber” (1994)
Thanks to “Dumb and Dumber”, we are all aware of the most annoying noise ever. We are also aware of the uneventful magic Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels make together in this classic comedy. Variety elaborates, “The humor can be merciless in its stupidity, like ‘the most annoying sound in the world’ or the declaration of ‘goodbye my love’ before crashing into another car. However, it’s Carrey’s long gaze at Harry betraying him that does it for me every time.”
His third movie of that year, “Dumb and Dumber” remains one of the most consistently funny and well-written comedies of his career. “A ridiculous road movie that gave us the unexpectedly-irresistible combo of Jim Carrey and the typically sensible Jeff Daniels. For his third movie of 1994, Carrey amped up the stupid in a joke-a-minute script from the Farrelly brothers. He even got in on the action physically for some extra funny by removing his fake front tooth to reveal the real chipped one underneath,” boasts Slash Film.
Twenty-eight years on, this is still a movie you can return to time and again. This film almost made The Manual’s list of greatest movies of all time. “Carrey is joined by Jeff Daniels as they play two well-intentioned imbeciles who just want to do what’s right. When Lloyd (Carrey) intercepts a briefcase left behind by a woman he drives to the airport, he and his friend Harry (Daniels) go on an unnecessarily difficult journey halfway across the country with the goal to win her heart and return her briefcase, but the adventure escalates when they discover the contents of said luggage.”
3. “The Truman Show” (1998)
This is a movie that pulls on your heartstrings. Carrey displays warmth and charm throughout the film forcing you to root for his character. “Although it doesn’t have the over-the-top physical comedy that Carrey is known for, its plot and dialogue allow Jim to still be funny as a man raised on a reality TV show. Realizing that his whole life has been controlled and tailored for other people’s entertainment is heartbreaking. However, his eventual escape, along with his trademark greeting, was a *chef’s kiss* ending. This movie showcases Jim Carrey at his best and makes for my numero uno on this ranking,” states Buzzfeed.
“When Carrey nails a non-comedic role, he nails it. That’s exactly what happens in The Truman Show.” Men’s Health describes the movie in a relatable way, “The Truman Show is a sci-fi concept that never feels sci-fi. Carrey plays a man who was literally bred into what would be today considered…a lifestyle vlogger. Except he has no idea he’s a lifestyle vlogger. His every move is captured on TV, and his entire life is a business for other people. But Truman…he starts to figure this out. And the rest is history. The movie is insanely good, and it’s super close with #1 on our list for the best acting Carrey has done.”
“The Truman Show” was nominated for three Academy Awards and earned Jim Carrey his first Golden Globe. “The Truman Show is a complex and existentially terrifying comedy/drama written by Gattaca director Andrew Niccol. Unbeknownst to him, small-town insurance salesman Truman Burbank has lived his entire life on camera as the star of an elaborate live reality series about his life. As Truman begins to uncover the truth, he must come to terms with his fabricated reality and find a way to escape it. Carrey’s performance as the sweet and endearing title character is sincere and heartbreaking, culminating in one of the most emotional climaxes in Jim Carrey’s movie career,” says Screen Rant.
4. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)
Jim Carrey takes on a different role where he plays a man involved in a new form of mind alteration where unpleasant memories can literally be erased from your consciousness. The Guardian describes Jim Carrey’s character, “He is small here, almost to the point of not existing, which is fitting since the real star of this movie is Michel Gondry’s kaleidoscope of melancholic whimsy, as written by Charlie Kaufman. Until this point Carrey was a classic overachiever, spending a decade showing us what he could do. Here, he showed you what happened when he didn’t do anything at all. Annoyingly, it was just as good.”
Men’s Health hails this the best movie Jim Carrey has ever been in. He is the complete opposite character of the one that made you pee your pants in “Dumb and Dumber”. “This story of a man who erases heartbreaking memories of his ex-girlfriend from his memory. With a masterful score by Jon Brion, great direction from Michel Gondry, and a cast that also includes Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood, Eternal Sunshine is an 18-year-old movie that already has a spot in the all-time canon.”
Charlie Kaufman is also the mastermind behind the scripts for “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation”. “After the ending of Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynski’s relationship, the two undergo a medical procedure to completely erase one another from their respective memories, prompting the two to rediscover their connection as strangers. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, bringing home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Carrey’s emotional and understated performance is heralded as one of the most concrete examples of the actor’s dramatic abilities, and the film is considered to be one of the best of the 2000s,” describes Screen Rant.
5. “The Mask” (1994)
“The Mask” is sort of a Nutty Professor-esque role for Jim Carrey, with the premise of a regular guy turning an opposing crazy character. “The Mask was part of the string of mammoth hits for the former In Living Color star that made him Hollywood comedy gold. In hindsight, this isn’t exactly top-shelf Carrey — it’s mostly fun for the platform it gave him to cut loose, which audiences at the time couldn’t get enough of — but it’s consistently funny. Clearly, Carrey was feeling himself and having a ball. But he’s also a bit of a solo act, not entirely meshing with the rest of his cast mates. (Right, Cameron Diaz is also in this.) The most remarkable thing about The Mask in light of our franchise-heavy era is that there weren’t immediately four more of them made,” states Vulture.
The #MOTD is The Mask (1994). Based on the Dark Horse comics, this superhero comedy film stars Jim Carrey as an insecure bank clerk who gets a new lease on life and the opportunity to woo his dream girl Tina (Cameron Diaz) after finding an ancient mask. pic.twitter.com/9OKAo8QAYv
— The Good. The Bad. The Basic. (@thegoodbadbasic) May 14, 2023
Believe it or not, this is the role that earned Carrey a Golden Globe nomination for lead actor in a comedy. “Carrey caused a comic sensation as the mild-mannered bank clerk who transforms into a superhero when he wears a mysterious mask. The film mixed Oscar-nominated Visual Effects with Carrey in full-out manic comedic mode to make it a huge box office hit of 1994. It also marked the first film appearance of model turned actress Cameron Diaz,” describes The Gold Derby.
It’s safe to say that the superhero movies of today will never match the dark humor and wide-eyed mania of “The Mask”. Even while filming the “Cuban Pete Dance” scene while fighting the flu, Jim Carrey is no match. “With all the grace and improbable magic of a Looney Tunes character, he dishes up something rarely seen in modern cinema: a character defying everyday logic to salsa dance their way out of a precarious situation, using nothing but their wits and some maracas. Why are you still reading this? It’s worthy of a rewatch,” suggests Slash Film.
You might also be interested in:
Sources:
- Vulture
- The Guardian
- The Gold Derby
- Variety
- Slash Film
- The Manual
- Men’s Health
- Screen Rant
- Buzzfeed
- Rotten Tomatoes
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.