A career criminal who has been deformed since birth is given a new face by a kindly doctor and paroled from prison. It appears that he has gone straight, but he is really planning his revenge on the man who killed his mentor and sent him to prison.
Acting
Rourke's pre-surgery face work — all mumbles and caged violence.
Direction
Hill's New Orleans noir: humidity you can practically taste.
Cinematography
Shadows that swallow faces whole. Appropriate, really.
Director
Walter Hill
Mickey Rourke
Johnny Handsome
Ellen Barkin
Sunny Boyd
Morgan Freeman
Lt. A.Z. Drones
Forest Whitaker
Dr. Steven Fisher
Elizabeth McGovern
Donna McCarty
Lance Henriksen
Rafe Garrett
Scott Wilson
Mikey Chalmette
David Schramm
Vic Dumask
Peter Jason
Mr. Bonet
Jeffrey Meek
Earl
J.W. Smith
Larry
Allan Graf
Bob Lemoyne
Edward Walsh
Judge
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rourke's actual pre-surgery face makes the 'before' shots hit different in retrospect — art imitating future life.
Walter Hill called this his 'Greek tragedy,' and the title itself is cruel irony — Johnny's never truly 'handsome,' just masked.
US
