The Man Who Wasn't There
Seen it?2001 | 116 min | Crime, Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
It won an Oscar, it earned strong reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (7.5 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved American Hustle or The Killers, start here.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 56 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best International Film. Won 1 BAFTA: British Academy Film Awards: Best Cinematography. Won 1 Critics' Choice Award: Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Best Cinematography. Won 2 Cannes awards: Cannes Film Festival: Best Director (tied with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive), Cannes Film Festival: Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film. Also nominated for 1 more Oscar, 3 Golden Globes and 2 more Critics' Choice Awards. Plus 12 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$19 million worldwide on a $20 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 212K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
American Hustle Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed crime drama.
The Killers Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed small-town crime story that fewer people know today.
Drive Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed crime drama.
The Grifters Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed crime drama.
Collateral
Saturday SpecialAnother crime drama, and a Saturday Special.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Billy Bob ThorntonEd Crane
- Frances McDormandDoris Crane
- Michael BadaluccoFrank
- James GandolfiniBig Dave Brewster
- Katherine BorowitzAnn Nirdlinger Brewster
- Jon PolitoCreighton Tolliver
- Scarlett JohanssonBirdy Abundas
- Richard JenkinsWalter Abundas
- Tony ShalhoubFreddy Riedenschneider
- Christopher KriesaOfficer Persky