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Face/Off

Face/Off

In order to trap him, he must become him.

1997138 minRMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Director
John Woo
Starring
John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola

In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Face/Off?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Face/Off streaming on AMC+ and Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Face/Off?

Face/Off earns 15 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% in Action.

Show 7 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Face/Off worth watching?

Face/Off's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 798K ratings across 6 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

94th percentile among Action90th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)87th

73 /100

88th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Action90th percentile among 1990s

Critics 82 · Audience 73

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Action88th percentile among 1990s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 93% · Audience 82%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 10 wins / 23 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing

99th percentile

798K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Action98th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$80M
Opening weekend$23M
Domestic gross$112M
Worldwide gross$246M

Returned 3.1× its budget — 93rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

a ludicrous, pulpy premise carried by charismatic leads and Woo's hyper-stylized action choreography.

Fans praised

  • commitment to ridiculous premise creates pure entertainment
  • Cage and Travolta trade personas with uncanny mannerism mimicry
  • over-the-top action set pieces deliver adrenaline and style

Detractors panned

  • face-swap surgery defies anatomy and basic plausibility
  • gunfights are endless, repetitive, and tactically absurd
  • plot holes undermine any pretense of seriousness

What stands out

ActingDivisive88

dual-role impersonations called career-best, though detractors call it hammy

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

explosions, gun battles, speedboat chase impress

OriginalityDivisive85

face-swap concept hailed as bold and inventive

CinematographyDivisive80

Woo's signature slow-mo and balletic shooting

TensionDivisive70

high stakes cat-and-mouse despite absurd premise

CharactersDivisive65

thin archetypes but serve the premise, villain more memorable than hero

PacingDivisive65

non-stop action but some sequences overlong

Plot and storyDivisive30

absurd, full of holes, but praised as ingeniously silly

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 15 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 15 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Face/Off like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: middle
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsEpic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its preposterous premise with absolute conviction, embracing operatic excess and emotional seriousness rather than winking at the audience.
The rideThe film is a sustained high-intensity thriller; the emotional complexity peaks in the middle section as Sean actualizes his dual life before the explosive, cathartic finale.
StructureThe story unfolds in linear chronological order with a clear three-act structure: setup of the face swap, the complication of Troy taking Archer's identity, and the confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you exhilarated and satisfied by its over-the-top action and the resolution of the identity conflict.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows FBI agent Sean Archer's mission to stop terrorist Castor Troy by swapping faces, driven by revenge for his son's death. The central conflict is Archer overcoming the monster that is Troy, with a tyrant subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film viscerally interrogates the foundations of identity when faces, voices, and lives are surgically traded, while the revenge quest blurs into familial redemption.
StanceThe film interrogates the fracturing of identity by placing both hero and villain in each other's lives; it leans into absurdity to probe what makes a person who they are.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · John Powell
SettingLos Angeles of the late 90s; the worlds of the FBI and the criminal underground, rendered on an operatic, larger-than-life stage.
MusicJohn Powell's score delivers soaring, propulsive action themes that amplify the operatic and emotional register of the film.

Content guide

Is Face/Off okay for kids?

R

Face/Off is rated R: “Rated R for intense sequences of strong violence, and for strong language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (87/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at intense (73/100). Overall it is heavier than 85% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK18
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • Hungary18
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 91% of all filmsHeavier than 85% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 82%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, language, frightening material, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Face/Off have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Face/Off?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

John Travolta
as Sean Archer
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Nicolas Cage
as Castor Troy
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joan Allen
as Eve Archer
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alessandro Nivola
as Pollux Troy
newcomer then · star now
Gina Gershon
as Sasha Hassler
Dominique Swain
as Jamie Archer
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nick Cassavetes
as Dietrich Hassler
Harve Presnell
as Victor Lazarro
Colm Feore
as Dr. Malcolm Walsh
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Carroll Lynch
as Prison Guard Walton

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Face/Off?

Movies like Face/Off include Death Wish: The Face of Death (1994), The Punisher (2004) and Hard Boiled (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by John Woo, and most are stories about tyrants.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its subject: revenge. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Face/Off?

824 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.