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Top 10 Face Reveal Scenes in Movies

You've been waiting for what seems like forever, but it's worth it in the end. Here are the 10 best face reveal scenes in movies.

By WatchMojoPublished 5 years ago 5 min read
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Sure, it’s a great movie, but we only want to know one thing: who’s behind that mask? In WatchMojo's own clever reveal, we’re counting down our picks for the "Top 10 Face Reveals in Movies."

For this list, we’re looking at movie scenes where a mysterious character finally unveils his or her face. Perhaps they’re hiding in the dark, maybe they’re wearing a mask, or maybe they’re just really, really shy. Either way, we want to know what they really look like. However, we’re skipping scenes like the one from Gladiator. Sure, it’s awesome, but while Commodus is surprised, the audience already knows what Maximus looks like. And heads up, there are some major spoilers ahead, so SPOILER ALERT.

The horror genre is jam-packed with memorable face reveals like the big, bloody twist at the end of Saw. In this splatter film spectacle, a murderer called the Jigsaw Killer is putting his victims into the nastiest traps imaginable… but we never get a good look at his face. Pay no attention to the comatose cancer patient. Throughout the film, we see Jigsaw’s handiwork, people mention his name, and we’re pretty sure he’s the guy in the pig mask… that is, until that dead guy picks himself up off the floor.

James Bond has some pretty unforgettable foes, but 007’s number one enemy is definitely Ernst Stavro Blofeld. As head of SPECTRE, Blofeld has shown up in six Eon films played by six different actors. But while he’s Bond’s biggest baddie, Blofeld remained hidden for his first two films. It wasn’t until You Only Live Twice that the cat-loving villain finally showed his face. Actor Donald Pleasence actually came up with that grotesque scar after passing on a hump, a beard, and a lame hand. Nice choice.

After sporting a sack in the sequel, Jason Voorhees changed his look for Part III by donning his trademark hockey mask. In the third entry, it’s business as usual as the faceless Jason murders a bunch of teenagers, only in 3D. In the film’s gory showdown, heroine Chris Higgins knocks Jason out with a shovel and tries to hang ‘em high. Only Jason isn’t quite dead and decides to show off his ugly mug. Now that’s a face only a psychopathic murdering mom could love.

Even though Kenny McCormick is one of South Park's most famous characters, we never actually see his whole face… well, not until the movie anyway. After dying once again, Kenny ends up in Hell, but after giving Satan some relationship advice, he’s able to wish away a war between Canada and America. But in so doing, he damns himself to eternal torment. Right before he returns to Hell, Kenny gives fans a long-awaited look at the boy behind the hood. But don’t worry. He comes back to life eventually.

The cape is cool, and the light saber is awesome, but people always remember the mask. It gave Darth Vader his robotic breath and made him sound like James Earl Jones. For two movies, this deep space super villain kept his face hidden, but we finally got a good look in Return of the Jedi. After sticking it to the Emperor, Vader asks Luke to remove his helmet, revealing an injured old man. Without the mask, Luke sees his father’s true face, and Vader finally becomes more man than machine.

He’s a sci-fi slasher complete with an uber-creepy mask. A big game hunter from outer space, the Predator winds up in Central America, stalking a gang of gun-toting commandoes led by Alan “Dutch” Schaefer. For most of the movie, the alien is nearly invisible, but when the mercenaries get a glimpse, he’s sporting a slick hunting mask, complete with thermal imaging. But several dead bodies later, the Predator challenges Dutch to hand-to-hand combat and finally removes his mask, revealing the scariest pair of mandibles you’ll probably ever see.

She isn’t “Mother of the Year” material, but Norma Bates can certainly scare an audience. That’s especially impressive as she’s hidden for most of the film. We hear her voice, see her silhouette, and did she just kill the main character? But it isn’t until the twisty climax that we see Mother’s true face. Alfred Hitchcock tested different versions of the Mrs. Bates prop by hiding them in Janet Leigh’s dressing room. The louder the scream, the scarier the prop. We think she probably shattered some windows.

Want to be a super villain? Then you need an awesome face reveal like this scene in 1989’s Batman. But while Jack’s appearance was terrifying, it takes second place to Heath Ledger’s arrival in The Dark Knight. After Batman Begins, audiences spent years waiting for the Clown Prince of Crime. If that wasn’t enough suspense, we learn the Joker is a pretty scary looking guy in the opening bank heist. Sure, he had competition from Two-Face, but the Joker stole the show when he took off his mask.

With David Lynch directing and Mel Brooks producing, you wouldn’t expect a poignant character study, but The Elephant Man certainly tugs at your heartstrings. The film follows a deformed freak show performer named John Merrick who becomes a Victorian celebrity. Lynch keeps Merrick’s face a secret at first, but when a nurse stumbles into his hospital room, we get a straight-on shot of the Elephant Man. But even though he’s a hideous sight, Merrick is no made-up movie monster. He’s a real person and a human being.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

  • Lime’s Alive The Third Man (1949)
  • Master of Disguise Mission: Impossible (1996)
  • Enter Indiana Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  • Schmidt’s True Face Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
  • Gonna Need a Bigger Boat Jaws (1975)

Before Gerard Butler charmed his way through the Paris Opera House, Lon Chaney was frightening audiences with this freaky face reveal. After kidnapping his crush and hiding her in his subterranean lair, the Phantom lays down some ground rules—namely, don’t mess with the mask. But Christine doesn’t listen, and the result was so scary that moviegoers in 1925 allegedly fainted. Known as the Man of a Thousand Faces, Chaney used some crazy tricks to make that horrifying face, including holding his nose back with wire. Talk about dedication.

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