Jim Carrey is a comedy legend, but his filmography also contains some pretty darn good dramas. From hilarious manic man-child films to a heartfelt movie about homelessness, here are the top 10 Jim Carrey movies you should watch.
A high concept comedy, Liar Liar sees Carrey play Fletcher Reede, a lawyer who can’t tell the truth. The result is both funny and surprisingly heartfelt.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1995)
If you’re a fan of Jim Carrey, this movie will have you in stitches. It’s not a masterpiece by any means, but it is a hilarious movie. It’s not for everyone though, so if you’re sensitive, avoid this one. It has plenty of gross humor and some sexual content. Parents should also be aware that there are some scenes that might offend children. There are also a lot of stereotyped characters. The main characters are Ace Ventura, a goofball private detective (Carrey) and his sidekick, Spike. Other characters include Laura, a little girl that loves Ace; A-Plus, a science nerd; Quenton Pennington Jr, a snobby rich kid; Dr. Sickinger, a prime suspect; and Oxnard, Ace’s dog.
A retread of the police procedural genre, this ibomma film slapstick lily pitches Jim Carrey as an odd-ball private investigator. Despite being saddled with a plot that shifts from social satire to sophomoric pranks to traditional cop show cliches, this picture benefits from its rubber-faced star’s ceaseless energy and wacky sense of humor. Directed with vigor if not spades of style by vet TV thesp Tom Shadyac, Ace Ventura finds the sweet spot between social satire and straight-up dumb good times, proving that the bumbling sleuth is still the top dog of modern comedy.
Liar Liar (1997)
Following his breakout performance in the 1994 film Ace Ventura, Jim Carrey exploded onto the Hollywood scene with three massive hits back to back; The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Liar Liar. This was a run of films that had many wondering if there was anything the actor couldn’t do. Despite the fact that all of these movies were funny, they also showed off Carrey’s acting ability as well, proving that he wasn’t just a rubber faced comedian.
Liar Liar was a dark comedy with some real heart to it. It was a return to form for Carrey after the failure of Ben Stiller’s The Cable Guy, which audiences just weren’t ready for. In this movie, he is lawyer Fletcher Reede, who’s a pathological liar. After his son makes a wish that his father can never tell a lie, Fletcher finds himself in a lot of trouble and is forced to reassess his life.
It was one of the few comedies of its time that actually took a serious look at the problems of lying and dishonesty. It also came out at a time when a lot of people were struggling financially and it really struck a chord with audiences.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (1999)
If you thought Jim Carrey was only good for slapstick and silly fare, this movie will change your mind. It’s a surprisingly moving story about the fragility of memory and love that shows off his acting ability like never before. It’s also one of the best movies Michel Gondry has ever directed.
This movie is funny, heartwarming and just plain fun. It’s not a movie you’ll want to miss.
While it might not have gotten the best reception upon release, Jim Carrey’s performance in this film is one of his finest to date. He plays a compulsively dishonest lawyer who becomes incapable of lying after making a wish. The premise is simple, but the execution is genius.
It’s hard to think of any other actor who could have pulled off the chemistry that Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet share on screen. Their characters are so different yet they’re able to bring out the best in each other. The movie is hilarious, but it’s also a touching drama that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
The Truman Show (2017)
Jim Carrey earned his first big success tapping into America’s unquenchable thirst for broad slapstick comedy, but he always had bigger ambitions than anyone might have guessed. As his career progressed, he proved his range was much wider than it might have seemed from his Farrelly-friendly laffers with movies like The Majestic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the seminal satire The Truman Show.
Often considered one of the greatest movies ever made, The Truman Show is one of Carrey’s most critically acclaimed films. It’s also one of his best, proving that he can deliver not just hilarity but also serious drama and meaningful societal commentary. The film stars Carrey as insurance salesman Truman Burbank, who wakes up to discover his entire life is a fake TV show. He lives in a perfectly simulated seaside town where everything, from his neighbors to the weather, is controlled by the maniacal “creator” played by Ed Harris. He starts to suspect he is being filmed when the world around him changes and he begins to see commercials for products he doesn’t own.
