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The Man Who Wasn't There

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The Man Who Wasn't There

R

Released Oct 31, 2001

1h 56m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

A dark tale of infidelity and murder, crime and punishment. Set in a small northern California town of the late 40s, the film portrays Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber dissatisfied with his life. His wife Doris' (Frances McDormand) infidelity presents Ed with an opportunity for blackmail that he thinks will help him to change it. However, Ed's scheme unravels and lays bare even darker secrets...

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Critics Consensus

Stylish but emotionally distant, The Man Who Wasn't There is a clever tribute to the film noir genre.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Some mature themes--best for older teens.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Affectlessness is not a quality much prized in movie protagonists, but Billy Bob Thornton, that splendid actor, does it perfectly as Ed Crane.

Oct 13, 2009

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

The film holds the interest, to be sure, but more due to the sure sense of craft and precise effect that one expects from the Coens than from genuine involvement in the story.

Nov 7, 2007

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... a devious melodrama of adultery, embezzlement, blackmail, and murder.

Apr 26, 2025

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Like many films in the film noir genre, The Man Who Wasn't There would not work if it were released in color.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 22, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The Coens often exaggerate a genre to comic effect, and for The Man Who Wasn't There, the mechanics of film noir marry with the Coens' unique brand of searching, and together realize their most mysterious, atmospheric motion picture.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 2, 2022

Full Review

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Blu B

All Time Classic. The cinematography is amazing. This is a love letter to the Noirs of the golden era. The Coen Brothers show such an in depth understanding of the genre. This is filled with mood, great camerawork, and excellent direction. The music is good but it's barely used really and just paino numbers. I wish it was maybe a bit more catchy. This is probably the weakest area but it's never dry. Everything else is just first rate across the board. The dialouge is really good, snappy, and nails the hallmark. This is like a Billy Wilder type script mixed with a Hitchcock type murder plot. Thorton does an amazing job in this and so does everyone else. The plot is very complicated but to it's credit it's never in the slightest incoherent, too hard to follow, but really interesting. You'll never guess what happens next. Filled with murder, cyncial undertones, and twists and turns this is something anyone should give a try once. You don't even have to have seen a classic noir to get into this. It's that good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/15/25

Full Review

Renzo G

Simplemente los hermanos Coen

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

Full Review

Paul C

This is another Coen Bros. film I rewatched recently, I upgraded to Blu-Ray. It’s still a solid flick, probably a bit too long, but worthwhile. The film is extremely well crafted and perfect performances by the cast.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

Full Review

Ross v

Beautifully designed and shot. Slow-paced, slow burn. Fantastic performances and an understated overall ambiance for what is, essentially, a narrative look into the misbehavior, misdemeanors, and crimes, of everyday people. Jon Politio's small role is great.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

Full Review

Leaburn O

Enjoyed it. The voiceover and black/white palate all reminded me of Sun City. Thornton carries the film with his vacant, distant musings. Bought in DVD for £1.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/06/23

Full Review

Clay W

Film noir lives! Very good film, great performance by Billy Bob Thornton.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

Billy Bob Thornton

Ed

Frances McDormand

Doris

Michael Badalucco

Frank

James Gandolfini

Big Dave

Katherine Borowitz

Ann Nirdlinger

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - Freddy Reidenschneider

2:11

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - The Murder

3:18

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - Reasonable Doubt

2:54

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - It Stinks

3:41

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - An Enthusiast

2:41

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - A Diamond in the Rough

3:00

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - I Just Cut the Hair

2:05

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - The Ghost

2:26

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - A Blackmail Note

3:00

The Man Who Wasn't There: Official Clip - The End

2:05

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Synopsis

A dark tale of infidelity and murder, crime and punishment. Set in a small northern California town of the late 40s, the film portrays Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber dissatisfied with his life. His wife Doris' (Frances McDormand) infidelity presents Ed with an opportunity for blackmail that he thinks will help him to change it. However, Ed's scheme unravels and lays bare even darker secrets...

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Distributor: USA Films
Production Co: Paramount
Rating: R (Scene of Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 14, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.5M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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