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The Man Without a Face

The Man Without a Face

A fatherless boy had almost given up all his dreams... until one man believed in him enough to make them come true.

1993115 minPG-13Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Director
Mel Gibson
Starring
Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl, Margaret Whitton, Fay Masterson

Justin McLeod is a former teacher who lives as a recluse on the edge of town after his face is disfigured from an automobile accident ten years earlier, in which a boy was incinerated--and for which he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Also suspected of being a paedophile, he is befriended by Chuck, causing the town's suspicions and hostility to be ignited.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Man Without a Face?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Man Without a Face streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Man Without a Face?

The Man Without a Face earns 7 badges, led by Deeply moving and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Man Without a Face worth watching?

The Man Without a Face's Midcredits score is the 70th percentile of all films, from 46K ratings across 6 sources. 62% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

70th percentile

Better received than 70% of films

72nd percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)68th

67 /100

70th percentile of all films

73rd percentile among Drama74th percentile among 1990s

Critics 62 · Audience 67

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

62% liked it

68th percentile of all films

70th percentile among Drama70th percentile among 1990s
62% rated it 7–1038% rated it 1–6

Critics 68% · Audience 64%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

90th percentile

46K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Drama86th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$20M
Opening weekend$4M
Domestic gross$25M
Worldwide gross$25M

Returned 1.2× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A moving (if sentimental) drama about an outcast boy and a reclusive mentor, with strong acting from Nick Stahl and Mel Gibson.

Fans praised

  • Nick Stahl's earnest breakout performance carries the film
  • Gibson's restrained direction and best dramatic acting
  • Heartfelt teacher-student bond and emotional weight

Detractors panned

  • Shallow adaptation that pales next to the book
  • Overly sentimental melodrama with heavy-handed moralizing

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive85

Heartwarming and tearjerking for many, saccharine for some

ActingDivisive80

Stahl and Gibson deliver powerful, restrained performances

CharactersDivisive75

Well-drawn arc for both leads, though thinly sketched supporting cast

AtmosphereDivisive70

Coastal setting and somber tone enhance the story

EndingDivisive70

Satisfying and hopeful resolution, though somewhat expected

Plot and storyDivisive60

Predictable narrative with subtext about prejudice and friendship

PacingDivisive60

Leisurely build, but emotional payoff lands

Originality45

Familiar mentor-student formula with a social message

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Man Without a Face like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopefulCathartic
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its themes of prejudice and redemption with earnest gravity, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe middle section carries the heaviest emotional weight as gossip escalates to false accusations of molestation, forcing Chuck and McLeod apart.
StructureThe story follows a standard beginning-middle-end arc: introduction, summer of tutoring, crisis with the town, and resolution at graduation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's ending reassures that mentorship and grace can overcome prejudice, leaving the viewer with a sense of quiet hope and encouragement to look beyond surfaces.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · 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%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeChuck, a boy dismissed as slow, secures a tutor and enters military academy, embodying an underdog triumph; the relationship also redeems the reclusive McLeod.

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 filmsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · 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% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · 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% (this title) · 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%

Bonds

Friendship · 9% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeAt its heart, the film is about the transformative bond between a lonely, disfigured man and a neglected boy, set against a backdrop of small-town gossip and unjust suspicion.
StanceThe film affirms the redemptive power of friendship despite the community's prejudice, ultimately celebrating the bond that transcends gossip and injustice.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralDomesticWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · James Horner
Settinga coastal small town in Maine, 1968
MusicHorner's score underscores the tender moments between McLeod and Chuck with piano and strings, reflecting both melancholy and hope.

Content guide

Is The Man Without a Face okay for kids?

PG-13

The Man Without a Face is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (22/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at moderate (57/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (8/100) and frightening material at mild (22/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • Germany6
  • FranceTP
  • Czechia12+
  • PortugalM/12
  • Sweden11
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 59%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

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

Too few votes to rank this title overall (29 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 The Man Without a Face have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Man Without a Face?

Cast

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

Mel Gibson
as Justin McLeod
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.
Nick Stahl
as Charles E. 'Chuck' Norstadt
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Margaret Whitton
as Catherine Palin
Fay Masterson
as Gloria Norstadt
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Gaby Hoffmann
as Megan Norstadt
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Geoffrey Lewis
as Chief Wayne Stark
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Richard Masur
as Prof. Carl Hartley
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Michael DeLuise
as Douglas Hall, Gloria's Boyfriend
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ethan Phillips
as Todd Lansing
Jean De Baer
as Mrs. Lansing

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Man Without a Face?

Movies like The Man Without a Face include Forrest Gump (1994), Stealing Home (1988) and Turtles All the Way Down (2024). Of the 12 closest matches, half are teen dramas, and several are films set in the 1960s.

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

7 of these 12 share its subject: friendship. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Man Without a Face?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: teen drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.