The 10 Most Underrated Jim Carrey Movies, Ranked (From Least to Most Underrated)

Jim Carrey’s filmography is packed with cultural touchstones that defined comedy for an entire generation. Tucked between the megahits are films that highlight different sides of his range, from grounded biographical drama to inventive family fare and oddball dark comedy, each with its own production story, collaborators, and release context.

This list gathers ten titles that often sit just off the obvious watchlists. You will find directors with distinctive styles, festival premieres, award notes, and box office outcomes, along with clear snapshots of what each movie set out to do and how it was made.

‘The Cable Guy’ (1996)

Ben Stiller directs this dark comedy with Jim Carrey as an overzealous cable installer who latches onto a new customer played by Matthew Broderick. The film was produced for Columbia Pictures and features a supporting cast that includes Leslie Mann, Jack Black, and George Segal. Its soundtrack leans into mid nineties alt rock and it sprinkles in television parodies that mirror the plot’s obsession with media.

The movie was released in the summer of 1996 and became known for Carrey’s then record setting salary. Principal photography took place around Los Angeles with several suburban and downtown locations doubling for the characters’ neighborhoods and workplaces. The film’s tone marked a departure from broad crowd pleasers and helped seed Carrey’s later forays into darker material.

‘The Number 23’ (2007)

Directed by Joel Schumacher, this psychological thriller follows a dog catcher who discovers a self published novel that mirrors his own life, which leads to an escalating fixation on the number twenty three. Virginia Madsen and Logan Lerman co star, and the narrative folds in a book within the movie where Carrey also plays a hard boiled alter ego.

New Line Cinema released the film in early 2007 after a production that used locations in Los Angeles and the greater Southern California area. The marketing centered on numerology clues and coded imagery, while the home video release included alternate endings and featurettes that expand on the story’s puzzle box structure.

‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (2020)

This live action and animation hybrid stars Carrey as Dr Robotnik alongside James Marsden with Ben Schwartz voicing Sonic. The project underwent a high profile redesign of the title character after the first trailer, which led to adjustments before release. Jeff Fowler directs and the tone leans into family adventure with Carrey delivering physical comedy and elaborate gadgetry.

Paramount Pictures opened the film worldwide in early 2020 and it became a strong box office performer in a year marked by shifting theatrical schedules. The movie later spawned a sequel titled ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ and tied in with console and merchandise promotions that extended its reach to younger audiences and long time fans of the game series.

‘Me, Myself & Irene’ (2000)

Peter and Bobby Farrelly direct this comedy about a Rhode Island state trooper with a dissociative condition who must escort a woman across New England. Renée Zellweger co stars and the script mixes road movie beats with character driven set pieces that showcase Carrey in dual performance mode. The soundtrack features contemporary rock acts and needle drops that match the film’s travel rhythm.

Principal photography took place in Vermont and Rhode Island, with several small towns providing backdrops for the chase and dialogue scenes. The film opened in June 2000 through Twentieth Century Fox and found a wide audience in theaters and on home media, where an extended cut and outtakes gave viewers a closer look at the improvisational approach on set.

‘I Love You Phillip Morris’ (2009)

Glenn Ficarra and John Requa direct this biographical crime romance about con artist Steven Jay Russell and his relationship with fellow inmate Phillip Morris. Ewan McGregor co stars and the screenplay adapts the reporting in the book by Steve McVicker. The story tracks multiple escapes, identity shifts, and financial schemes, presented with a brisk narrative that moves between Texas and Florida settings.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 and navigated a complex release path that included international rollouts before a North American theatrical run. Production drew on a mix of location shooting and staged interiors, and the final cut adds title cards to keep track of the chronology and the legal stakes that frame the couple’s story.

‘Yes Man’ (2008)

Peyton Reed directs this modern Los Angeles comedy inspired by Danny Wallace’s memoir ‘Yes Man’. Jim Carrey plays a bank loan officer who commits to saying yes to every opportunity, which sets off a chain of new skills, friendships, and mishaps. Zooey Deschanel, Rhys Darby, and Bradley Cooper round out the ensemble with recurring bits built around music, stand up, and community classes.

The production filmed across downtown and neighborhood locations, including scenes at the Hollywood Bowl and the Korean Bell of Friendship in San Pedro. Warner Bros released the movie in December 2008 and it performed well worldwide, with international markets responding to its simple high concept and the emphasis on visual gags that travel easily.

‘Horton Hears a Who!’ (2008)

Blue Sky Studios adapts the Dr Seuss classic with Jim Carrey voicing Horton the elephant and Steve Carell voicing the Mayor of Whoville. Directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino preserve the rhyming spirit and scale of the source while giving Horton a fuller emotional arc and a community of jungle characters who react to his belief in a tiny world on a speck of dust.

The animation pipeline used the studio’s in house tools that also powered the ‘Ice Age’ series, with extensive work on fur simulation and crowd scenes for Whoville. Twentieth Century Fox released the film in March 2008 and it became a global family hit, supported by classroom tie ins and reading campaigns that used the movie to introduce new audiences to Dr Seuss stories.

‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (2004)

Brad Silberling directs this adaptation of the first three books in Daniel Handler’s series, with Jim Carrey playing Count Olaf in several disguises that drive the plot’s set piece structure. The cast includes Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Meryl Streep, and Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket. The production design leans into storybook gloom with practical sets and stylized lighting.

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures partnered on the release in December 2004. The film won the Academy Award for makeup and received additional nominations in art direction and costume design. Its home release included deleted scenes and a commentary track that details the creation of Olaf’s prosthetics and the integration of visual effects with the practical sets.

‘The Majestic’ (2001)

Frank Darabont directs this period drama set in early fifties coastal California during the era of the Hollywood blacklist. Jim Carrey plays a screenwriter who loses his memory and is mistaken for a missing local war hero, which leads to the restoration of a small town movie theater. Martin Landau, Laurie Holden, and Hal Holbrook co star, and the film uses courtroom scenes to frame the political stakes.

Warner Bros released the movie in December 2001 following a production that used coastal towns for main street and pier locations. The cinematography emphasizes warm interiors and classic marquees that tie the story to mid century exhibition culture. The score by Mark Isham supports the sentimental tone and the narrative’s focus on civic memory and local identity.

‘Man on the Moon’ (1999)

Miloš Forman directs this biographical film about comedian Andy Kaufman, tracking his rise from nightclub performances to ‘Taxi’ and his wrestling stunts that blurred the line between persona and prank. Jim Carrey portrays Kaufman and also appears as alter ego Tony Clifton, while Paul Giamatti and Courtney Love provide key support. The soundtrack uses R E M songs and includes an original track that references the title.

The movie was produced by Universal and Jersey Films and opened in late 1999 during awards season. Carrey won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture musical or comedy for the role. Years later the documentary ‘Jim & Andy’ offered behind the scenes footage that showed the immersive preparation on set and the way collaborators navigated the demands of the performance.

Share your own underrated Jim Carrey picks in the comments so everyone can compare notes and discover a few titles they may have missed.