The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There

Being invisible gets you into spy rings, diplomatic circles, and the girls' locker room.

Directed by Bruce Malmuth

Produced by Paramount Pictures

1983111 min4.3 / 10

A lighthearted spy-comedy romp built on the absurdist premise of an invisible bureaucrat caught between multiple factions, prioritizing laughs and physical comedy over coherence or depth.

When he accidentally takes possession of a top-secret invisibility potion while en route to his wedding, government bureaucrat Sam Cooper finds himself engulfed in a madcap free-for-all as Russians and other bad guys try to get the substance. To elude the Reds, his own State Department bosses and his livid fiancée, Cooper takes the vanishing juice himself—which only makes matters worse.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Man Who Wasn't There sad? No. Less sad than 97% of films.

  • Does The Man Who Wasn't There end with hope? Yes. More hopeful than 81% of films.

  • Is The Man Who Wasn't There easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 77% of films.

  • Is The Man Who Wasn't There violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is The Man Who Wasn't There scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

13/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity50

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise4

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love3

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Man Who Wasn't There

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Man Who Wasn't There

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Man Who Wasn't There, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Man Who Wasn't There, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Man Who Wasn't There, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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