Brilliantly rubbery, creatively cartoony effects help tell a dark, surprisingly deep story.

Rating: 8/10 (11 April 2018)

'The Mask (1994)' has some surprisingly deep allegorical undertones and a nice message about being yourself, and your best self at that, to overcome the problems you previously thought someone in a mask would be better suited to solve. It also has a real underlying darkness, which shouldn't be shocking to anyone familiar with the much harsher and more cynical source material, which contrasts nicely with the cartoony powers possessed by the wearer of the eponymous facial facade. This is one of my favourite comedies because the humour comes from such an honest place, our hero first hiding his insecurities and then them being unceremoniously released in sometimes creepy ways, and the story itself works incredibly well without relying on its laughs as a crutch. It does all this while using its incredibly inventive and wonderfully realised rubbery, real-life toon aesthetic to brilliant effect. This is a real highlight of Carrey's career. 8/10