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The Man Who Wasn't There

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Joel Coen

Producer:

Tim Bevan, Ethan Coen, Eric Fellner

Runtime:

1hr 56m

Synopsis

A laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss and lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong.

Cast

  • Billy Bob Thornton
  • Frances McDormand
  • Michael Badalucco
  • James Gandolfini
  • Katherine Borowitz
  • Jon Polito
  • Scarlett Johansson
  • Richard Jenkins
  • Tony Shalhoub
  • Adam Alexi-Malle

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.9
140.2K
49.5K
35.9K
RATINGS 391 FANS
3.9
  • Dec 22, 2013

    "He told them to look not at the facts, but at the meaning of the facts. And then he said the facts had no meaning. It was a pretty good speech."

    1.5K Likes
    matt lynch
    matt lynch
    Sep 22, 2018

    billy bob thornton could bench press a car with an eyebrow

    1.1K Likes
    karen h.
    karen h.
    Jul 31, 2020

    Entirely possible I’m pulling a Theme That Wasn’t There from this (or even that I am seeing something that is extremely obvious to everybody else who knows!!) but, I think this is an ironic tragedy about a depressed queer man desperately aching for meaning. Whether that’s…

    1.0K Likes
    demi adejuyigbe
    demi adejuyigbe
  •

    THE underrated Coen brothers movie. Written off at the time as some kind of half-assed Miller's Crossing, this movie features the Coens at their most empathetic and contemplative. The film noir trappings aren't simply another slick genre goof. The Man Who Wasn't There is an…

    559 Likes
    Matthew Christman
    Matthew Christman
    Sep 29, 2024

    Jesus, that was dark. The soul crushing mundanity of life. Made me feel sick. But funny, gentle, human.

    454 Likes
    Jake
    Jake
    Aug 4, 2013

    The use of classic film noir elements can come off as gimicky in modern films. Shoot one in black and white after 2000 and it is going to look like a freaking novelty item! The Man Who Wasn't There is an extremely thoughtful film, one that has so much depth and such a…

    394 Likes
    Simone
    Simone
  •
    May 21, 2021

    Once Ed takes a bite of the apple, sins beget sins beget sins, like the infinitely spinning stripes of a barber's pole or his clients' hair, which "just keeps coming." I could watch Billy Bob Thornton smoke and think and not say anything for hours. Which is good, because…

    289 Likes
    Josh Larsen
    Josh Larsen
    Jan 23, 2014

    I’m quite surprised that The Man Who Wasn’t there rarely shows up in the top 5 of everyone's Coen ranked lists. I had been meaning to re-watch for years, as I hadn’t seen it since its original release. The final prompt came in the form of watching not a Coen film, but…

    270 Likes
    Jonathan White
    Jonathan White
    Nov 13, 2020

    I'm on my third watch of The Man Who Wasn't There and it gets better each time. A brilliant homage to film noir genre from the Coen brothers. It's one of their best movies, yet least known of their filmography. Just like classic noirs this is a moody and stylish exercise in…

    236 Likes
    Nakul
    Nakul
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Top Reviews
  • 10000BCman
    10000BCman liked
    The Man Who Wasn't There

    brilliant stuff

    3Y
    Travis Bickle
    Travis Bickle liked
    The Man Who Wasn't There

    Okay.

    1Y
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Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

73
metacritic
Based on 33 Critics
7.7

USER SCORE (92)

Generally favorable reviews based on 92 Reviews
80

It's the latest and one of the best entries in a genre whose highest philosophical expression is the whiplash realization that the universe doesn't play fair.

View full review
Metacritic review by Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
63

As a whole, it's a bit of a mess, the work of bratty geniuses with talent to spare, but unsure of what -- if anything -- they're trying to say.

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Metacritic review by Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
50

It's clever, in a dare you to name this hommage kind of way, but it's fundamentally heartless and coldly hollow.

View full review
Metacritic review by Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide Magazine
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Man Who Wasn't There family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is The Man Who Wasn't There?
The movie is 1hr 56min long.
What's The Man Who Wasn't There about?
A laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss and lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong.
Who's the cast of The Man Who Wasn't There?
  • Billy Bob Thornton as Ed
  • Frances McDormand as Doris
  • Michael Badalucco as Frank
  • James Gandolfini as Big Dave
  • Katherine Borowitz as Ann Nirdlinger
  • Jon Polito as Creighton Tolliver
  • Scarlett Johansson as Birdy Abundas
  • Richard Jenkins as Walter Abundas
  • Tony Shalhoub as Freddy Riedenschneider
  • Adam Alexi-Malle as Carcanogues
Who's the director behind The Man Who Wasn't There?
Joel Coen directed The Man Who Wasn't There.
Who produced The Man Who Wasn't There?
Tim Bevan, Ethan Coen and Eric Fellner produced The Man Who Wasn't There.