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Johnny Handsome

Johnny Handsome

Crime · Drama · 1989

A career criminal who has been deformed since birth is given a new face by a kindly doctor and paroled from prison. It appears that he has gone straight, but he is really planning his revenge on the man who killed his mentor and sent him to prison.

Movie details

Johnny Handsome

“They changed his looks, his life and his future... but they couldn't change his past .”

1989 Crime · Drama 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A career criminal who has been deformed since birth is given a new face by a kindly doctor and paroled from prison. It appears that he has gone straight, but he is really planning his revenge on the man who killed his mentor and sent him to prison.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Johnny Handsome?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Unforgivable

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A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.

American Me

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Sexy Beast

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Awake

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Walter Hill

Written by

Ken Friedman

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke

Johnny Handsome

Ellen Barkin

Ellen Barkin

Sunny Boyd

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

Lt. A.Z. Drones

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker

Dr. Steven Fisher

Elizabeth McGovern

Elizabeth McGovern

Donna McCarty

Lance Henriksen

Lance Henriksen

Rafe Garrett

Scott Wilson

Scott Wilson

Mikey Chalmette

Court is in session

Put Johnny Handsome on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.