Face/Off
A high-concept action thriller where an FBI agent and a terrorist swap faces, forcing each to live the other's life.
Where to watch online
Official services. The link goes straight to this film.
Kanopy
BBC America
Pathé Thuis
—
Rental
Purchase
Availability data by JustWatch
About the film
In order to trap him, he must become him.
What it’s about
FBI agent Sean Archer undergoes a face transplant to take on the identity of comatose terrorist Castor Troy, hoping to uncover a bombing plot. The plan backfires when Troy awakens and assumes Archer's face, leaving the agent trapped in the criminal's body while his enemy infiltrates his life.
What hooks you
John Woo directs John Travolta and Nicolas Cage as the two adversaries, each playing both hero and villain. The film won Saturn Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, plus MTV Movie Awards for Best On-Screen Duo and Best Action Sequence. Woo insisted on practical stunts over green screen, and the actors spent two weeks together to perfect their mirrored performances.
Who it’s for
It is a good pick for those who enjoy high-concept action with a psychological twist, where identities blur and the hero must fight from a position of weakness. It will appeal to viewers who appreciate elaborate set pieces and the tension of an enemy hiding in plain sight.
- Country
- United States
- Year
- 1997
- Genres
- Action, Thriller, Crime, Science Fiction
- Running time
- 2h 18min
- Age rating
- 17+
- MPAA
- R
- World premiere
- Jun 19, 1997
×3.1box office to budget
Ratings
MOVIE․ONE · 440 votesCreative team
All 9
Trivia
All facts 10
- John Woo was asked to remove the slash from the title (Face/Off), but he rightly decided to keep exactly that title so that viewers would not think the film was about hockey (faceoff is a hockey term meaning a face-off).
- The first version of the script unfolded in the near future, but John Woo decided that the film's action would take place in the present, so that viewers' attention would be focused not on perceiving the world of the future, but on the psychological and dramatic moments of the plot.
- The name of the prison in English sounds like "Erewhon." This word is the simplest anagram of the word "Nowhere."
- When the project was in its infancy, the following names were considered by the producers for the lead roles: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Other actors considered included Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas, Alec Baldwin and Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
- As producer Barry Osborne later admitted, many of the action scenes were planned to be shot against a green screen. But John Woo categorically rejected these proposals and resorted to traditional location shooting.
- Castor and Pollux are the names of the twin demigod heroes, characters of ancient Greek mythology. However, unlike in John Woo's film, it was Castor who possessed an inquisitive mind, while Pollux, on the contrary, was incredibly strong and agile.
Awards and nominations
4 wins · 11 nominations
- 2 wins Saturn Awards
- 2 wins MTV Movie & TV Awards
- Best Director John Woo Saturn Awards · 1998
- Best Screenplay Michael Colleary Saturn Awards · 1998
- Best On-Screen Duo John Travolta, Nicolas Cage MTV Movie & TV Awards · 1998
- Best Action Scene MTV Movie & TV Awards · 1998
Also nominated Academy Awards1
Reviews
0Similar
-
7.1
Point Break
-
6.9
Avengement
-
6.3
Copshop
-
6.2
Criminal
-
6.0
Hard to Kill
-
7.1
To Live and Die in L.A.
-
7.3
The Equalizer
-
6.4
War
-
6.1
Ricochet
-
7.3
Assault on Precinct 13
No one has written about this yet
The first piece about “Face/Off” takes this spot. An analysis, an essay, a personal story — whatever suits you.
- 01It appears right here, on the page everyone looking for this title opens.
- 02Your name and a link to your profile go with it.
- 03The editor already knows which title it is about — just start with the first line.
- 04Your first article earns the “First article” badge on your profile.
Face/Off
1997
Face/Off
1997
Face/Off
1997