Face/Off
1997 · Directed by John Woo
An FBI agent and a terrorist swap faces. Not a metaphor. They physically swap faces. John Woo directs. Cage and Travolta act like they're paid by the scenery-chew.
Why It's Cult
Face/Off is the ceiling of 90s action filmmaking. The premise is absurd and the film commits so hard you forget. Cage playing Travolta playing Cage, and Travolta playing Cage playing Travolta, is the single most audacious act of dual performance in action cinema. The church shootout with doves. Peak Woo.
The Plot, Officially
Sean Archer, a very tough, rugged FBI Agent, is still grieving for his dead son Michael. Archer believes that his son's killer is his sworn enemy and a very powerful criminal, Castor Troy. One day, Archer has finally cornered Castor, however, their fight has knocked out Troy cold. As Archer finally breathes easy over the capture of his enemy, he finds out that Troy has planted a bomb that will destroy the entire city of Los Angeles and all of its inhabitants. Unfortunately the only other person who knows its location is Castor's brother Pollux, and he refuses to talk. The solution, a special operation doctor that can cut off people's faces, and can place a person's face onto another person. Archer undergoes one of those surgeries to talk to Pollux. However, Castor Troy somehow regains consciousness and now wants revenge on Archer for taking his face. Not only is Troy ruining Archer's mission, but his personal life as well. Archer must stop Troy again. This time, it's personal.
Starring
John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
