Jim Carrey was the biggest star in the world for kids in the 90s. His breakout role was in Detective Ace Ventura in 1994, which was the beginning of his incredible career. TechTrends made a list of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time, so keep reading.
One of the most successful Hollywood stars in the contemporary industry is Jim Carrey. The landscape of modern comedy would not have looked as vibrant as it does now if it wasn’t for Jim Carrey, the 1990s American zeitgeist. Jim Carrey was recognized in comedy scene in the 90s and took the decade by storm. His popularity extended the national boundaries when he appeared in movies like The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. Carrey has been performing since the age of 15. At the age of 21, he came to Hollywood and became a star. In addition, he has many fans all over the world and earns critical acclaim for his incredible movies. TechTrends decided to narrow down the best must-see Jim Carrey performances to date. Let’s get to it.
Best Jim Carrey Movies of All Time
Jim Carrey’s career as an actor skyrocketed in the 1990s. Not only has he made the viewers laugh and cheer, but he also made them cry. His legacy will be here for generations. Here are the best Jim Carrey Movies of All Time.
10. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 1994
- Genre: Comedy/Mystery
- Director: Tom Shadyac
- Star: Jim Carrey, Sean Young, Courteney Cox, Troy Evans, Tone Loc
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 48%, IMDb 6.9
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the movie that made Jim Carrey a star. Therefore, it is one of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time and has made it to our list. the film revolves around Carrey as a deranged private detective, who specializes in looking for missing pets. The movie was quite a success and a box office glory. The dolphin mascot of Miami’s NFL team gets abducted and Carrey’s character has to find it. Soon following that, Miami Dolphins players get kidnapped as well, such as star player Dan Marino. Ace works with Dolphins representative Melissa Robins, played by Courteney Cox, to find them, but they go through some ridiculous misadventures.
Read more: Best Mystery Movies of All Time
9. Man on the Moon 1999
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Director: Miloš Forman
- Star: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti, Courtney Love, Jerry Lawler, Vincent Schiavelli
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 64%, IMDb 7.4
The ninth one on the list of the best Jim Carrey movies ever is Man on the Moon, during which Carrey tried to transform himself into Andy Kaufman, the late comedian. He stayed in character when the movie was being shot. Andy Kaufman was a special comedian and Taxi sitcom’s costar. He became famous for his provocative antics, which were also often controversial. Carrey was able to portray Kaufman masterfully well in this movie. He won a Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy, but failed to with an Oscar nomination.
8. Dumb and Dumber 1994
- Genre: Comedy/Screwball comedy
- Director: Peter Farrelly
- Star: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Brady Bluhm, Mike Starr
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 68%, IMDb 7.3
Carrey was so successful in the early 90s and Dumb and Dumber is among one of the most popular and best Jim Carrey movies of all time. The movie is full of humor, with Variety saying “The wholeheartedness of this descent into crude and rude humor is so good-natured and precise that it’s hard not to partake in the guilty pleasures of the exercise.” Carrey plays the role of Lloyd Christmas, who is friends with Harry Dunne, played by Jeff Daniels. The two come across a suitcase with a lot of money in it in Harry’s car, left there by Mary Swanson, portrayed by Lauren Holly, who was going to the airport. They go to Aspen, Colo to give the money back and they do not know that this is connected to a kidnapping. The two get pursued by police and hired killers, with their friendship and brain being tested.
7. I Love You Phillip Morris 2009
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
- Star: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Michael Mandell, Brennan Brown
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 6.6
This movie is about a true-life story of a policeman who turns to be a conman and goes to jail. Carrey portrays his character masterfully. In addition, this police officer abandons his wife in the process and turns out to be gay, coming out of the closet. According to The Saint Louis Post Dispatch, Carrey was able to “transform what could have been a cliched con man comedy, generic Jim Carrey-character comedy or run-of-the-mill gay coming-out comedy into something smarter, sweeter and downright giddy.”
Read more: Best Survival Movies of All Time
6. The Mask 1994
- Genre: Comedy/Fantasy
- Director: Chuck Russell
- Star: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Greene, Peter Riegert, Amy Yasbeck
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 6.9
Cameron Diaz became the lead role alongside Jim Carrey. She portrays the role of a jazz singer who comes across Carrey’s character, who is a mild-mannered bank clerk. He then turns into a maniac superhero once he puts on the Mask. This movie put both of the leading characters on the map with their impressive performances in this action/comedy. The Mask is indeed one of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time.
Read more: Best Cameron Diaz Movies of All Time
5. Liar Liar 1997
- Genre: Fantasy/Comedy
- Director: Tom Shadyac
- Star: Jim Carrey, Krista Allen, Justin Cooper, Jennifer Tilly, Maura Tierney
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 83%, IMDb 6.9
Another one of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time is Liar Liar, which came after a career misstep The Cable Guy. He bounced back with Liar Liar which revolves around a lawyer who cannot lie, which is imperative for most people in this profession, courtesy of his son’s wishing for this. Jim Carrey is full of comic energy as he is forced to say what ever he really thinks and is not able to hold back what he is thinking. This is a quite interesting and entertaining movie to watch and we highly recommend it as one of the greatest Jim Carrey movie roles. Don’t miss it.
Read more: Best Comedy Movies of All Time
4. Peggy Sue Got Married 1986
- Genre: Fantasy/Romance
- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
- Star: Jim Carrey, Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt, Sofia Coppola
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 6.4
Peggy Sue Got Married was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with then Turner earning her only Oscar nomination after this film. She played the role of a woman who travels back to the past and lives her high school days again after getting separated from her cheating husband Charlie, portrayed by Nicolas Cage. At the reunion with her friends after 25 years, she faints and awakens in 1960. Since she was given a second chance, she changes lots of stuff. Jim Carrey is among her classmates. Carrey’s performance is interesting in this movie as it was the beginning of him trying to establish a reputation for himself as a serious actor. We highly recommend this as one of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time.
Read more: Best Fantasy Movies of All Time
3. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond 2017
- Genre: Documentary
- Director: Chris Smith
- Star: Jim Carrey, Miloš Forman, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti, George Shapiro
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 7.6
After mentioning Man on the Moon on the list of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time, it is time to tell you that the compelling story behind it was not revealed until after 20 years. Chris Smith’s documentary named Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is about the meta-madness that occurred during the Man on the Moon production. Carrey was dedicated to Method Acting in playing Andy Kaufman, which threatened to derail Milos Forman’s movie. For those who think lines were blurred in the film, wait to see this 2017 documentary. This is yet another one of the best Jim Carrey films ever.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
- Genre: Romance/Sci-fi
- Director: Michel Gondry
- Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 8.3
This is yet another one of the best Jim Carrey movies of all time. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has a very heart-wrenching story revolving around a couple’s fallout, facing dire consequences for their choices. Kate Winslet plays the role of Clementine, who is a beautiful woman, but she has her memories erased following a tragic breakup. Then, she finds out that Joel, featured by Jim Carrey, her partner, also does that. It is only then that he realizes his love for her. However, it is too late to go back now. Carrey and Winslet’s portrayal of the characters was spectacular, with the movie also receiving a lot of critical acclaims.
Read more: Best Romance Movies of All Time
1. The Truman Show 1998
- Genre: Drama/Sci-fi
- Director: Peter Weir
- Stars: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris, Natascha McElhone, Noah Emmerich, Philip Glass, Paul Giamatti
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 95%, IMDb 8.2
Another one of the best Jim Carrey movies ever is the Truman Show, which revolves around a man named Truman, played by Carrey. He is not aware that his life is actually being recorded and shown as a reality TV show. When he understands that strange things happen around him, he escapes the fake reality of his existence in total. Viewers can see the satire in the everyday life of the protagonist, which mocks the reality TV’s false nature. It also comments on the fact that reality TVs are usually controlled and that the media controls what the public finally sees and feels. However, the director does it in an exaggerated way as it is like that Truman is born and grown up for the show. In addition, the producers of the show have control on what affects him.