You’ve probably seen the memes of Jim Carrey making those elastic, rubber-faced expressions that defined the nineties. We all know the guy from Ace Ventura or The Truman Show. But there’s a movie from 2016 called The Bad Batch where Jim Carrey is basically a ghost. He plays a character named the Hermit. He doesn’t speak a single word. Not one. If you weren't looking at the credits, you might have watched the entire two-hour runtime without ever realizing one of the biggest movie stars in history was wandering around in the background of a dusty wasteland.
It’s a weird film. Ana Lily Amirpour, the director who gave us the "Iranian Vampire Western" A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, created this neon-soaked, cannibal-infested desert dystopia. It stars Suki Waterhouse as Arlen, a girl who gets dumped into a "fenced-off" Texas wasteland where the laws of the United States no longer apply. Jason Momoa is in it. Keanu Reeves is there playing a cult leader with a harem of pregnant guards. But the most jarring transformation belongs to Carrey.
📖 Related: Why Close Your Eyes I'll Be Here in the Morning is the Lullaby for the Brokenhearted
He's unrecognizable.
Seriously. He’s covered in layers of sun-baked grime, sporting a wild, unkempt beard and tattered clothes that look like they were pulled out of a dumpster in a sandstorm. He looks less like a Hollywood A-lister and more like someone who has actually been living in the Mojave Desert for thirty years eating lizards.
The Hermit: A Silent Performance in a Loud Movie
In The Bad Batch Jim Carrey takes on the role of the Hermit, a scavenger who wanders the desert with a shopping cart. He’s the one who finds Arlen after she’s been partially eaten by cannibals. He doesn't ask her if she's okay. He doesn't offer a witty one-liner. He just pushes his cart, offers a bit of silent assistance, and disappears back into the shimmering heat haze.
Why would a guy who commanded $20 million per picture in his prime take a role where he doesn't speak?
It’s about the art, honestly. At that point in his life, Carrey was going through a public "existential" phase. He was painting a lot. He was questioning the concept of the "self." To him, playing a character who is purely a presence—a silent observer of human suffering and survival—seemed to fit his headspace. Amirpour has mentioned in interviews that Carrey was incredibly committed to the bit. He spent hours in the makeup chair to get that leathery, sun-damaged skin texture. He wanted to disappear. He succeeded.
Why The Bad Batch Divides Audiences So Hard
The movie currently sits with a middling score on Rotten Tomatoes, usually hovering around 40-50% with audiences. It’s polarizing. Some people love the vibe—the heavy techno soundtrack, the vibrant cinematography, and the slow-burn storytelling. Others find it pretentious and aimless.
🔗 Read more: Bill Murray’s Meatballs: Why the it just doesn't matter movie still defines the summer camp genre
Here is the thing about The Bad Batch Jim Carrey fans need to understand: this isn't a plot-driven movie. It’s a mood. If you go in expecting a high-octane action flick like Mad Max: Fury Road, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. It’s slow. It’s meditative. It spends a lot of time just watching people walk through the sand.
- The movie explores the idea of the "other."
- It looks at how humans rebuild hierarchies even when society is stripped away.
- It uses Jim Carrey’s Hermit as a moral compass that exists outside of the cannibal/cultist binary.
Most people who hate the film complain about the pacing. It’s nearly two hours long, and for a good chunk of that, not much "happens" in the traditional sense. But for those who appreciate world-building, the detail in the "Bridge" (the cannibal camp) and "Comfort" (the cult town) is pretty incredible.
The Keanu Reeves and Jason Momoa Connection
It’s wild to see the cast list for this indie flick. You’ve got Jason Momoa playing "Miami Man," a Cuban cannibal who paints portraits and kills people with a butcher knife. Then you have Keanu Reeves as "The Dream," a man who provides drugs and electricity to the masses in exchange for their devotion.
And then there's Jim.
While Momoa is doing the heavy lifting physically and Keanu is doing the heavy lifting with the dialogue, Carrey provides the soul of the movie. There is a specific scene where he trades a sign for a frantic favor, and his eyes do more acting in thirty seconds than most actors do in an entire career. It reminds you that underneath the "funny guy" persona, he is a master of physical acting. He doesn't need his voice to tell a story. He just needs his face—even if that face is hidden under three pounds of fake dirt and a prosthetic nose.
Jim Carrey’s Shift Toward Dramatic Minimalism
If you look at his career trajectory, The Bad Batch Jim Carrey represents a turning point. Before this, we had Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show, which were dramatic but still very much "Jim Carrey" performances. The Hermit is something else entirely. It’s a total erasure of celebrity.
Around the time of filming, the documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond was being put together, which detailed his grueling method acting on the set of Man on the Moon. It’s clear that Carrey became fascinated with the idea of losing himself in a role to the point where the audience forgets who they are watching. In The Bad Batch, he isn't a star. He’s a prop in a larger, uglier story.
It’s worth noting that the film was shot on a relatively low budget in the California desert. The heat was real. The dust was real. The grit you see on his skin isn't always makeup—sometimes it's just the desert.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Film’s Ending
A lot of viewers walk away confused by the ending of The Bad Batch. Without spoiling too much, it’s not a "happily ever after" in the way we usually see. It’s a cynical look at how we survive. The Hermit pops up again near the end, and his presence serves as a reminder that in this world, kindness is a rare, almost invisible currency.
Some critics argued the movie was "style over substance." Maybe. But when the style includes a silent Jim Carrey and a mustachioed Keanu Reeves living in a giant boombox, maybe the style is the substance.
Is It Worth Watching Today?
Honestly, yeah. Especially if you’re a fan of Jim Carrey’s weirder side. It’s a visual feast. If you have a big 4K TV and a good soundbar, the sensory experience alone is worth the price of admission. Just don't expect Dumb and Dumber.
It’s also a fascinating time capsule of a moment when major stars were willing to take massive risks on weird, experimental indie films. You don't see that as much lately with the explosion of franchise filmmaking.
How to spot him if you're watching for the first time:
- Look for the older man with the shopping cart.
- He appears early on to help Arlen after her first "encounter" with the cannibals.
- Watch his hands. The way he handles his scavenged goods is incredibly deliberate. That's the Carrey precision.
The film is currently available on various streaming platforms like Netflix or for rent on Amazon, depending on your region. It hasn't aged into a "classic" yet, but it has definitely earned a cult following among people who like their sci-fi a little bit dirty and a lot bit strange.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning to dive into The Bad Batch, keep these things in mind to actually enjoy the experience:
💡 You might also like: The Threw It On The Ground Lyrics: Why Andy Samberg’s Fake Rage Still Hits
- Adjust your expectations: This is an "art-house" film disguised as a post-apocalyptic thriller. It’s slow. Embrace the crawl.
- Watch the background: The world-building happens in the corners of the frame. Pay attention to the signs, the trash, and the way people move in the background.
- The Soundtrack is Key: The music by artists like Darkside and Pantha du Prince is essential to the vibe. Turn it up.
- Research the Director: If you like this, check out A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. It’ll give you a better understanding of Amirpour’s specific visual language.
- Look past the gore: Yes, there is cannibalism. Yes, it’s gross. But it’s used as a metaphor for consumption and how we use each other.
Jim Carrey's performance in this film is a masterclass in "less is more." In an age where every actor is trying to be the loudest person in the room (or the most CGI-enhanced person on the screen), he chose to be the quietest. It’s a brave choice for a man whose entire legacy was built on being loud. Whether the movie works for you or not, you have to respect the commitment to the craft.
Next time you’re scrolling through a streaming service and see that thumbnail of a girl with a missing arm in the desert, don't skip it. You might just see a legendary comedian doing the best work he’s ever done without saying a single word. It’s gritty, it’s unpleasant, and it’s strangely beautiful.
To get the most out of your viewing, try to find a high-definition version to appreciate the cinematography by Lyle Vincent. The desert landscapes are stunning, and the contrast between the harsh sunlight and the neon night scenes is a huge part of why the movie works. If you're a fan of Carrey's later, more philosophical work, this is a mandatory addition to your watchlist. It’s a reminder that even when he’s playing a "Hermit," Jim Carrey is still one of the most compelling people to ever stand in front of a lens.
Don't go into it looking for the Grinch or The Mask. Go into it looking for a man who has stripped everything away to see what’s left. That’s where the real magic of his performance lies.