This is a movie that starts off fairly normal, gets weird and surreal in the middle, and then somehow manages to resolve in a surprisingly simple and straightforward ending. Jim Carrey is at his best and delivers an amazing, moving performance, and Kate Winslet has a lot of chemistry with him. Since many of the special effects were achieved in-camera and with precision editing, it still holds up after 14 years. Like all good sci-fi, it manages to be simultaneously high-concept and personally relatable. It’s a modern classic for good reason, and a must-see film fans.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Requiem for a Dream, but with hopeful realism in place of gritty despair.

Setting: Modern
Tone: Drama
Plot: Sci-fi