--- title: "Yes Man" year: 2008 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/yes-man" fi1m_score: 56 critics_score: 53 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-09-17T00:38:39.311763+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T00:38:55.869944+00:00" region: "US" 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." --- # Yes Man (2008) Directed by Peyton Reed · 1h 44m · MPA PG-13 · Comedy, Romance **Fi1m score: 56** · Critics 53 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* Jim Carrey agrees to everything for a hundred minutes, and the best scenes belong to his boss > Jim Carrey says yes to everything and Peyton Reed’s comedy gets forty good minutes out of it before turning into the romantic comedy it was always going to be. Rhys Darby steals it; the rest is pleasant and hard to remember by the following morning. ## Synopsis Los Angeles. Carl Allen (Jim Carrey), a loan officer at a bank, has arranged his life around the word no: no to loans, no to nights out, no to his friend Peter (Bradley Cooper). An old colleague, Nick (John Michael Higgins), drags him to a self-help seminar where the guru, Terence (Terence Stamp), makes him promise to say yes to everything he is asked. That night Carl gives a homeless man (Brent Briscoe) a lift, runs out of petrol and is rescued by Renee (Zooey Deschanel), who rides a scooter and fronts a band. His boss Norman (Rhys Darby) invites him to a party. Carl, for once, goes. ## Review Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) works in a bank in Los Angeles, approving hardly any loans, and he has arranged his life so that nothing happens in it. He screens his calls, skips his friends’ nights out and goes home to a flat the colour of porridge. Then a seminar guru played by Terence Stamp makes him promise to say yes to everything, and *Yes Man* gets about forty minutes of good comedy out of that promise. After that it becomes a romantic comedy with a gimmick attached, and the gimmick runs out before the romance is ready to take the weight. Carrey is quieter here than we expected, and greyer, and for a while that suits the film. The early yeses are small ones and he plays them with a nod and a wince, a man agreeing to things through his teeth. It is a decent piece of underplaying. The trouble arrives when the script asks him for the old rubber-limbed stuff, and he does it like a man performing an impression of himself at thirty. In [*Liar Liar*](https://film.one/film/liar-liar) the joke was that he could not do the thing he most wanted to do, and the strain was the comedy. Here yes is easy and the results are mostly pleasant, so there is nothing to push against. The pushing is left to Rhys Darby, who plays Carl’s boss Norman as a man so eager to be liked that he cannot hear how it sounds. We laughed, properly and without much dignity, every time he appeared. Darby does not mug. He beams, and waits, and Craig Alpert has the sense to hold the shot on him rather than cut to the reaction. It is the best sustained comedy in the film and it is not the star’s. John Michael Higgins, as the colleague who starts all this, does something similar with less screen time. Zooey Deschanel is better than the part. Renee is a bundle of quirks by design, and Deschanel plays her as if none of it were remarkable, which is the only way it could work. The scenes where she and Carrey simply sit and talk are the film’s calmest and its most convincing. Robert D. Yeoman shoots Los Angeles in flat, clean daylight with hardly any of the usual haze, and Mark Bridges puts Renee in colours the bank has never seen, so that when she walks into Carl’s world you can tell at a glance she is not from it. The structure is the problem, and it is a script problem. Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul and Nicholas Stoller build the middle as a list: one new pastime after another, one more montage. Alpert cuts these fast and the songs by Mark Oliver Everett and Lyle Workman lend them a melancholy the images have not earned, so that a man in a montage sounds sadder than he looks. Somewhere in the second hour the yeses stop being funny and start being plot, complications arrive that we will not describe, and the film heads for a lesson about moderation that we had guessed in the first reel. We sat through the last half hour waiting, without much hope, for the film to be about something other than getting its couple back into a room. Peyton Reed directs it dutifully. The frame is tidy, the jokes land where they are placed, and nothing in it seems to have surprised anyone who made it. Andrew Laws gives Carl a bank and a flat that are convincingly beige and then has nowhere to go once the yeses arrive, because the film keeps returning to those same beige rooms. Set against other studio romantic comedies of its kind, it is neater than most and takes the same route home. The reviews so far have settled on a shrug, and we are not going to argue with them. It is a 104-minute film that is never unpleasant and only occasionally alive, and the occasions belong to the supporting cast. Watch it for Darby, stay for Deschanel, and do not expect the second half to remember what the first half was for. *Fi1m score 56, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean mixed, and most start from the same place: the premise is a good one and the film does not know what to do with it once the setup is over. Where there is praise, it clusters around the supporting cast. Rhys Darby, as Carrey’s boss, is singled out repeatedly as the best thing on screen, and several critics enjoy the chemistry between Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. Peyton Reed’s direction is credited with keeping Carrey on a shorter leash than usual. The reservations are about the star and the script. Most critics find the story settles into a formulaic romantic comedy, and they split on Carrey: some think he is too restrained and looks tired in the role, others think the physical comedy is a step backwards. The spread is wide. The Hollywood Reporter calls it his most satisfying live-action work since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Slant sees desperation in the return to Liar Liar territory. ### Reviews we read (15) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it Jim Carrey's most satisfying live-action effort since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Reed's use of fresh Los Angeles locations and the Eels-heavy soundtrack are highlighted as adding unique flavor. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/yes-man-jim-carrey-review-125151/) - **Empire**, Philip Wilding (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the premise initially intriguing but notes that the film loses steam after the setup, becoming formulaic with familiar Hollywood tropes, though it remains charming with some comedy moments. They praise Rhys Darby's performance as almost stealing the film. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/yes-man-review/) - **Time Out**, Nigel Floyd (3/5): The film tries to blend Carrey's serious and comic sides but splits them down the middle, resulting in slick direction undermined by sitcom-like episodes and a shift to cloying sentimentality. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/yes-man) - **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (C): The critic finds the film a thin, phony exercise in Carrey mugging and product placement that is never more than mildly amusing. A strained romance and wasted supporting turns fail to overcome the gimmicky premise. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/yes-man-1798205412) - **Variety**, Brian Lowry (55/100, inferred): The film is genial but slim, offering Carrey opportunities to riff without enough explosive hilarity or sustained manic energy to fully realize the conceit. It lands in the realm of a definite “maybe,” with uneven episodic mode and only occasional juicy bits. [Read](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/yes-man-1200472750/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film sort of ho-hum stuff overall. He singles out the cameo from Rhys Darby for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/dec/22/yes-man-review) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): The film is a sluggish vehicle for Jim Carrey that removes the tension and frustration central to his best comedy by making the premise too straightforward. Carrey works hard to keep it alive with physical humor but is ultimately constrained by the yes-and-consequences structure. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/yes-man-2008) - **Screen Daily** (40/100, inferred): A likeable premise about opening up to life's chaos is lost amid romantic-comedy complications in this intriguing misfire. Carrey shows he can be a believable romantic lead but is no longer the inspired manic goofball of his early career. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/yes-man/4042326.article) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (35/100, inferred): The movie is too sluggish and slapdash a vehicle for Carrey’s wackiness, arriving at an obvious conclusion about moderation that feels insufficiently infantile. It fails to demand enough reckless silliness from its star, who looks too grown up and tired for the role. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/movies/19yes.html) - **Slant Magazine** (30/100, inferred): The critic sees desperation in Carrey's return to Liar Liar territory, calling the humor passable but conventional and suited mainly for undemanding viewing. Reed's direction is faulted for lacking energy except in isolated moments like a sing-along scene. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/yes-man/) - **Eye for Film**, Robyn Jankel (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a pleasantly funny and enjoyable comedy with genuine laughs, crediting director Peyton Reed for handling the daft premise well and highlighting strong supporting turns, especially from Rhys Darby and the restrained Jim Carrey performance. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/yes-man-film-review-by-robyn-jankel) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): The film is a cute comedy with a positive message about embracing life, but it represents a step backward for Jim Carrey's career with regressive physical comedy. Director Peyton Reed finds some charm in the corny situations and restrains the star effectively. [Read](https://collider.com/review-yes-man/) - **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (3/5): The film is a solid but uneven comedy that works better in its quieter, quirkier moments than its broader set pieces. The critic singles out the chemistry and dialogue between Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel, along with Rhys Darby's scene-stealing turn as the boss. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/yes-man-movie-review-2/) - **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (55/100, inferred): The film is a decent but unremarkable time-killer whose inspirational message and one-trick premise lack conviction and feel ramshackle. The critic singles out Rhys Darby's hilarious performance as Carl's boss as the best element, providing strong contrast to Carrey. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a138637/yes-man/) - **Paste**, Paste Staff (55/100, inferred): Yes Man is a by-the-book romantic comedy with a gimmick that is smarter and less calculated than similar studio films but still ends up formulaic and ridiculous. Zooey Deschanel and supporting players like Rhys Darby provide the main saving graces in an otherwise watchable but unremarkable effort. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jim-carrey/yes-man) ## Details - **Director:** Peyton Reed - **Director:** Peyton Reed - **Screenplay:** Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel - **Cinematography:** Robert D. Yeoman - **Editor:** Craig Alpert - **Music:** Mark Oliver Everett, Lyle Workman - **Production design:** Andrew Laws - **Costume design:** Mark Bridges - **Producer:** David Heyman, Richard D. Zanuck - **Cast:** Jim Carrey as Carl Allen; Zooey Deschanel as Renee Allison; Bradley Cooper as Peter; John Michael Higgins as Nick; Rhys Darby as Norman; Danny Masterson as Rooney; Fionnula Flanagan as Tillie; Terence Stamp as Terence - **Runtime:** 1h 44m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 19 December 2008 - **Genres:** Comedy, Romance - **Budget:** $70 million - **Box office:** $223 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fifBy4N3-_k ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Liar Liar* (1997), Fi1m 68: The same premise in reverse, with a Carrey who cannot stop and a film that can. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/liar-liar.md) - *Groundhog Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: A man forced to live better, and a comedy that earns its lesson properly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/groundhog-day.md) - *Harold and Maude* (1971), Fi1m 81: Saying yes to life, done with more nerve and a much older woman. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/harold-and-maude.md) - *Amélie* (2001), Fi1m 82: Small good deeds in a painted city; the whimsy is meant and it works. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/amelie.md) - *(500) Days of Summer* (2009): Deschanel again, and a film honest about what a quirky girlfriend costs. --- © 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/yes-man