Face/Off
Movie, 1997, Named by fans, Set in Third in the trilogy
Face/Off is #23 of 48 in release order and #36 of 48 in chronological order in the Spiritual Trilogies.
The story
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Face/Off recap
FBI agent Sean Archer has hunted the terrorist Castor Troy for six years, ever since Troy, aiming for Archer, killed his young son. Archer finally captures Troy, leaving him in a coma, but learns Troy has planted a bomb somewhere in Los Angeles. To get the location from Troy's brother Pollux, Archer has Troy's face surgically attached to his own and goes into a high-security prison as Troy. Troy wakes, forces the surgeon to give him Archer's face, kills everyone who knows about the operation, and moves into Archer's life, his job and his family. Archer, trapped as Troy, breaks out of prison and joins Troy's gang, where he meets Sasha, the sister of Troy's drug-dealing friend, who has a son, Adam, by Troy. Each man now lives as the other. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta play both roles in the third film of the Cage Uncaged Trilogy.
Face/Off ending explained
Archer kills Castor Troy in a speedboat chase, gets his face back, and brings Troy's son Adam home. After a church shootout in which Sasha dies, Archer promises to look after Adam. Archer's wife Eve learns which man is her husband from his blood type. The fight moves to boats on the harbour, and Archer kills Troy with a speargun. Archer has his face restored, then comes home with Adam, whom his family takes in.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Face/Off
Face/Off is streaming on Philo, AMC+, Kanopy, Hoopla, and BBC America in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Con Air, before In the Mood for Love.
- Chronological order: after Con Air, before The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
Cast
- John Travolta as Sean Archer
- Nicolas Cage as Castor Troy
- Joan Allen as Eve Archer
- Alessandro Nivola as Pollux Troy
- Gina Gershon as Sasha Hassler
- Dominique Swain as Jamie Archer
- Nick Cassavetes as Dietrich Hassler
- Harve Presnell as Victor Lazarro
- Colm Feore as Dr. Malcolm Walsh
- John Carroll Lynch as Prison Guard Walton
- CCH Pounder as Hollis Miller
- Robert Wisdom as Tito Biondi
Directed by John Woo.