Yes Man (2008)

Let's get one thing straight before we go any further: Yes Man is not a bad film. It's just a very, very average one. And somehow, in its own strange way, that's almost more frustrating.

The premise has genuine promise. Jim Carrey plays a bloke who, after a motivational seminar of the most gloriously unhinged variety, commits to saying yes to absolutely everything life throws at him. Sky-diving, Korean language lessons, Red Bull-fuelled midnight bike rides, the lot. There's something genuinely appealing about that idea. The notion that we sleepwalk through our own lives, turning down opportunities out of habit or fear, is worth exploring. For a while, the film actually has fun with it.

Carrey, as ever, is the engine here. His manic, rubber-faced commitment to a bit is one of cinema's great reliable pleasures, and there are moments where he absolutely earns his laughs. When he's fully let off the leash, he's a joy to watch. Nobody does wide-eyed, barely-contained chaos quite like him. If you've ever had a look at my reviews of The Mask or Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, you'll know I've got a real soft spot for what he can do when the material is worthy of him. The trouble with Yes Man is that it isn't, quite.

The romantic subplot between Carrey and Zooey Deschanel is where the film is warmest. She's playing the kind of free-spirited, slightly offbeat character she was doing a lot of around this era, and she does it well. Their chemistry is easy and likeable, and a few of their scenes together land with a genuine sweetness. But even here the script doesn't push things far enough. It pulls its punches, tidying everything up into the expected shape before you've had time to feel anything properly.

That's the film's central problem, really. It has a satirical target right there in front of it, the whole self-help industrial complex, the seminars full of people cheering at vague affirmations, the idea that a single philosophy can unlock your entire life, and it takes a few decent swings early on. Then it loses its nerve completely. By the halfway point, the satire has been quietly folded away and we're just watching a fairly standard Hollywood romcom tick through its expected boxes. Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy realises what he had, you know the shape of it before it arrives.

Carrey showed, particularly in something like The Truman Show, that he's capable of carrying something with genuine emotional weight and a proper idea at its heart. Yes Man wants to be that kind of film, something feel-good but also a little bit meaningful, and it settles instead for being pleasant and forgettable. That's not the worst thing in the world. But when you're watching someone with Carrey's ability coast through material that's asking so little of him, there's a slight sadness to it.

Two and a half stars, and I think that's about right. Nothing here will offend you. Nothing will stay with you particularly long either. It's the cinematic equivalent of a bag of crisps. Fine in the moment, gone by the time you've stood up to put the kettle on.

If you're after a lazy Sunday afternoon film and Carrey doing his thing is enough for you, honestly, go for it. Grab the popcorn, let your brain clock off for a couple of hours, and you'll probably come out the other side smiling. Just don't go in hoping for anything more than that. Yes Man is perfectly decent at being perfectly decent, and that, perhaps, is as far as it was ever really trying to go.

Rating: ★★½  | Year: 2008  | Watched: 2025-10-27

View on Letterboxd →

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Amazon Prime Video · Netflix Standard with Ads · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.

Related on Movies With Macca

More with Jim Carrey: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) · Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) · The Mask (1994) · The Truman Show (1998)
More from United Kingdom: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) · Blue (1993)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More romance: The Eagle (1925) · The Last Picture Show (1971) · The General (1926) · The Docks of New York (1928)