--- title: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" year: 2004 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind" fi1m_id: "eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind" imdb_id: "tt0338013" tmdb_id: 38 wikidata_id: "Q208269" fi1m_score: 88 critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-09-14" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:28.890794+00:00" region: "HU" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Directed by Michel Gondry · 1h 48m · NMHH 16 · Science Fiction, Drama, Romance ## Identity Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind - **IMDb ID:** tt0338013 - **TMDB ID:** 38 - **Wikidata ID:** Q208269 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/38, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208269 **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 82 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* Having an ex erase your entire relationship makes being asked for a jumper back seem positively affectionate > Michel Gondry’s memory-erasing romance is inventive, funny and painfully convincing about why people hurt one another. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet make its complications worth following, though the visual tricks occasionally crowd them out. ## Synopsis When Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) discovers that Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) has erased him from her memory, their relationship becomes a question of what can be forgotten and what cannot. Michel Gondry’s science-fiction romance moves through the couple’s memories of their time together, examining the attraction and hurt that accompany them. Charlie Kaufman writes the screenplay, with a supporting cast including Kirsten Dunst as Mary, Mark Ruffalo as Stan, Elijah Wood as Patrick and Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Mierzwiak. At its centre are two people and the possibility of removing a former lover from the mind. ## Review Michel Gondry’s *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* makes a convincing romance out of the wish to forget one. Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay takes memory erasure seriously enough to ask what it would feel like, without getting bogged down in how the machinery might work. We recommend it warmly, with a warning that the storytelling sometimes makes an already painful relationship needlessly difficult to follow. Its strongest reason for existing is Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, who give the cleverness two people worth caring about. Carrey plays Joel Barish with a reserve that makes rejection seem almost physically embarrassing. When Joel learns that Winslet’s Clementine Kruczynski has erased him from her memory, the science-fiction premise becomes a particularly cruel version of being told to go away. We were hurt by that discovery, because Carrey lets Joel seem small and unprepared rather than grandly tragic. There is no need to share his circumstances to recognise the humiliation of finding that someone has finished with us more thoroughly than we imagined. Their meeting on a train is a useful measure of what Winslet contributes: the attraction has to work before any complicated account of memory can matter. She gives Clementine enough confidence to make Joel’s reserve interesting, drawing our attention to what he struggles to express. We can understand why these two people would want to know one another, while still wondering how comfortable they would be together. Kaufman’s writing lets affection and irritation belong to the same relationship, and neither actor tries to tidy that up. Ellen Kuras’s cinematography makes the meeting on the train feel intimate, giving us a reason to care before the visual complications take over. Dan Leigh’s production design gives the couple a world that feels comfortably ordinary, which helps the memory-erasure imagery unsettle us. Gondry’s effects work best when they make us worry about what Joel is losing. The familiarity matters: we need to believe these people have spent time together before the prospect of forgetting it can hurt. Valdís Óskarsdóttir’s editing has the difficult job of making disorientation bearable, and mostly succeeds. Even when we cannot immediately place a moment, the feeling between Joel and Clementine is clear, while Jon Brion’s score supplies tenderness without making every hurt feel momentous. The trouble comes when another visual disruption arrives before the previous one has had time to register. Gondry can seem reluctant to leave a clever idea alone, and there are stretches where we would gladly trade another flourish for a little breathing space. Kaufman also questions the familiar romantic promise that finding the right person will settle everything. Joel and Clementine make a less reassuring prospect, because their attraction does not make either of them easier company. This gives Carrey and Winslet something more interesting to play than a contest over who deserves our sympathy. Across its 108 minutes, the film allows us to care about both of them without requiring us to excuse everything they do. Choose it for a night when both of you are willing to pay attention. A distracted viewing will make the structural fuss more irritating and the performances easier to miss. Leave the argument about which of them is being unreasonable until afterwards. *Fi1m score 88, published 14 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, praising the emotional depth beneath its complicated account of memory and love. Praise centres on Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay and Michel Gondry’s inventive handling of the shifting memories, with several reviews finding that the visual ingenuity serves the characters rather than distracting from them. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet also draw strong notices for performances that make the central relationship credible amid the disorientation. The reservations concern how much complication that relationship can bear, and the reviews differ sharply on whether the film connects emotionally. Slant Magazine admires the humane writing and visual choreography but finds that the premise loses momentum. The Guardian regards the technique as overworked, with repetition weakening its effects. Screen Daily offers the clearest dissent, finding the screenplay too cerebral and overwrought to deliver the emotional connection that most critics describe. ## Straight answers **Is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind worth watching?** *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* is worth watching, and we scored it 88. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet make a memory-erasing romance feel painfully true about why people hurt one another, though Michel Gondry's visual tricks sometimes arrive faster than they can register. Choose it for a night when both of you are prepared to pay attention. **How long is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and what is it rated?** *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* runs 1h 48m and is rated 16 by the NMHH in Hungary. It is a science fiction and drama film. **Where can I watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in Hungary?** *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* is not on any streaming or rental service in Hungary at the moment. It is available in 8 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and is it suitable for children?** *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* is a 15 certificate in the UK and rated R in the US, so it is not for children. There is nothing in it we would call violent or frightening; the discomfort comes from watching a relationship dismantled, which is adult in feeling rather than in content. Teenagers who can follow a disorienting structure should be fine. **How does Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind compare to Brief Encounter?** *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both romances about people whose feelings make more sense than their decisions, but they get there by opposite means. David Lean's film is plain and restrained, and the tighter of the two; Gondry's is busy with effects that occasionally crowd its actors. Choose Lean for quiet devastation, Gondry for invention. **What should I watch after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?** After *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*, try [*Hiroshima mon amour*](https://film.one/film/hiroshima-mon-amour) (1959, Fi1m 87): Another romance in which remembering a lover brings pain that will not stay buried. Then [*After Life*](https://film.one/film/after-life) (1998, Fi1m 85): A quieter fantasy about choosing memories, with equal care for ordinary lives; and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For another pair whose feelings make considerably more sense than their decisions. ### Reviews we read (12) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (90/100, inferred): Kaufman and Gondry create a disorienting yet deeply felt exploration of memory and love inside the protagonist's mind. The radical narrative and visual strategy delivers poignant insights on relationships. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-1798199421) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (85/100, inferred): Kaufman finally delivers a complete, accessible romantic screenplay with a strong third act. Gondry orchestrates the memory-erasure visuals and performances from Carrey and Winslet effectively. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/eternal-sunshine-spotless-mind-review-2004-movie-1167865/) - **Radio Times**, Brian Pendreigh (4/5): The review calls the film wonderfully intriguing, often touching and typically convoluted, praising its inventive collaboration and Kaufman's oddball imagination. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-xknphs/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/) - **Time Out**, JWin (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the hilarious, love-stricken and endlessly inventive collaboration between Gondry and Kaufman, noting its surreal thrills and emotional vulnerability. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind) - **Slant Magazine**, Jeremiah Kipp (70/100, inferred): Gondry hits his stride with inventive visuals and choreography that match Kaufman's humane script, though the premise runs out of steam and the film is too muddled for masterpiece status. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/) - **Empire**, William Thomas: The critic praises Charlie Kaufman's script as his most satisfying yet, highlighting its emotional depth and innovative structure that captures the full arc of a relationship. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet deliver strong performances against type, supported by Michel Gondry's inventive visuals and direction. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/eternal-sunshine-spotless-mind-review/) - **Screen Daily**: The critic finds the script overwrought and cerebral, making the film inaccessible and unlikely to connect emotionally with audiences despite strong casting and some imaginative visual tricks. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/4017769.article) - **The Guardian**: The film is a technically ingenious Kaufman narrative experiment about memory and love but feels overcooked and frenetic, with visual tricks that lose impact through repetition. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/apr/30/dvdreviews.shopping4) - **The New York Times**, Elvis Mitchell (Critic’s Pick): The film is an angular and intelligent romantic comedy with quicksilver direction and visual magic, particularly in its depiction of memories. It admires the inventive story and performances more than it loves the whole, due to some inconsistencies in execution. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/19/movies/film-review-washing-that-girl-out-of-his-head.html) - **Total Film**: The review calls it an emotionally satisfying adaptation of Kaufman's script, a weird, visually inventive rom-com-in-reverse that charms and moves thanks to strong lead performances from Carrey and Winslet and Gondry's stylish but controlled direction. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-review/) - **Eye for Film**, David Haviland (85/100, inferred): The film is a rare treat whose visual and narrative flair redefines the possibilities of the medium while rigidly focusing on storytelling and character. Kaufman's screenplay displays craft, ingenuity and a new level of emotional depth in exploring the double-edged nature of attraction. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind-film-review-by-david-haviland) - **Paste**, Jason Killingsworth (85/100, inferred): The critic expresses surprise at the film's emotional impact given the casting of Jim Carrey and involvement of Charlie Kaufman. He praises the credible, disheveled characters and the humanistic spirit that tempers Kaufman's usual cleverness in this anti-romantic comedy. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind) ## Details - **Director:** Michel Gondry - **Director:** Michel Gondry - **Screenplay:** Charlie Kaufman - **Story:** Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman, Pierre Bismuth - **Cinematography:** Ellen Kuras - **Editor:** Valdís Óskarsdóttir - **Music:** Jon Brion - **Production design:** Dan Leigh - **Costume design:** Melissa Toth - **Producer:** Anthony Bregman, Steve Golin - **Cast:** Jim Carrey as Joel Barish; Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski; Kirsten Dunst as Mary; Mark Ruffalo as Stan; Elijah Wood as Patrick; Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Mierzwiak; Jane Adams as Carrie; David Cross as Rob - **Runtime:** 1h 48m - **Certificate (NMHH):** 16 - **Release (Hungary):** 19 August 2004 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Drama, Romance - **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2004); [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2004) - **Budget:** $20 million - **Box office:** $72 million ## Where to watch in Hungary Not streaming, renting or buying in Hungary at the last check. Also available in: AR, CA, CL, CO, EC, MX, PA, PE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2005: Best Actress (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won) - Saturn Awards 2005: Best Science Fiction Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Non-European Film 2004: European Film Award for Best Non-European Film (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Hiroshima mon amour* (1959), Fi1m 87: Another romance in which remembering a lover brings pain that will not stay buried. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hiroshima-mon-amour.md) - *After Life* (1998), Fi1m 85: A quieter fantasy about choosing memories, with equal care for ordinary lives. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/after-life.md) - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For another pair whose feelings make considerably more sense than their decisions. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *The Science of Sleep* (2006): Gondry lets handmade fantasy complicate another awkward attempt at being close. - *Her* (2013), Fi1m 84: Another lonely man finds that technology cannot make loving somebody simple. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/her.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind