In 1968, Justin McLeod has been living an isolated existence as a painter for seven years, after a car accident that disfigured his face.

Chuck Norstadt is a young boy who endures a contentious relationship with his academically brilliant sisters and their mother.

Chuck keeps his daily meetings with McLeod a secret to avoid being scorned for associating with a disfigured man whose past is shrouded in mystery.

[4] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[7] He praised Gibson’s performance, calling it "a reminder of his versatility; not many actors can fit comfortably in both Lethal Weapon and Hamlet (1990), and here he finds just the right note for McLeod: Not a caricature, not a softy, not pathetic, but fiercely sure of what is right and wrong".

[7] He also commended Nick Stahl on his portrayal of Chuck, writing "he doesn't believe that his face has to mirror every emotion; he takes a no-nonsense approach to the material that's fresh and interesting.

"[8] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote "The Man Without a Face is such a noble, well-intentioned little film... that one feels like an ogre picking on it.

"[9] The film's treatment of sexuality between Justin McLeod and Chuck Norstadt differs from the book by Isabelle Holland.

In the film, McLeod demonstrates no sexual interest in the boy at all, even though Chuck appears downstairs in his underwear when the police officer calls.