Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- hard-boiled
- tense
- late night noir viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally regard the film as a stylish, undervalued neo-noir elevated by Walter Hill's direction and Mickey Rourke's central performance, while acknowledging its familiar revenge machinery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dr. Steven Fischer rebuilds Johnny's face and helps him enter ordinary life, but Johnny's desire for payback remains central.
Sunny and Rafe double-cross Johnny and Mikey during the robbery, directly motivating Johnny's later retaliation.
Walter Hill frames the prison, robbery, shipyard, and New Orleans criminal milieu through a severe neo-noir sensibility.
Johnny's disfigured face, reconstructive surgery, mask imagery, and new identity shape both his rehabilitation and his criminal return.
Films like Johnny Handsome, and why
Point Blank
neo-noir crime atmosphere, criminal betrayal, and a revenge-driven protagonist seeking to reclaim his identity
The Driver
stylized crime filmmaking, underworld betrayal, and a hard-edged protagonist pursuing retribution
Payback
identity transformation, prison aftermath, and morally shadowed revenge within a noir framework
Cape Fear
crime melodrama, doomed reinvention, and a protagonist trapped between emotional renewal and violent retaliation
Movie Details
- Director
- Walter Hill
- Release Date
- 1989-09-12
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (303)
Cast
- Mickey Rourke
- Ellen Barkin
- Morgan Freeman
- Forest Whitaker
- Elizabeth McGovern
- Lance Henriksen
- Scott Wilson
- David Schramm
- Peter Jason
- Yvonne Bryceland
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Johnny Handsome about?
- A disfigured New Orleans gangster receives a new face and a chance at respectability, but betrayal keeps pulling him toward revenge.
- What is Johnny Handsome like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Johnny Handsome as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Johnny Handsome violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Johnny Handsome as brutal.
- What did critics think of Johnny Handsome?
- Critics generally regard the film as a stylish, undervalued neo-noir elevated by Walter Hill's direction and Mickey Rourke's central performance, while acknowledging its familiar revenge machinery.
- Which films are like Johnny Handsome?
- Films with a similar feel include Point Blank, The Driver, Payback, and Cape Fear.
- How long is Johnny Handsome?
- Johnny Handsome runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Johnny Handsome?
- In United States, Johnny Handsome is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
