Imagine waking up one day in a completely unfamiliar place, with no clue who you are or how you got there. That’s exactly what the protagonist of James Bamford’s latest film, “Man with No Past,” goes through when he finds himself in an unknown city with zero memory of his past. The film features an impressive cast, including Jon Voight as Paul Sanborn, Adam Woodward as Ryder, Marton Csokas as Soach, Charlotte Vega as Morgan, and many more.
Unfortunately, the film’s weak and underwhelming execution belies its interesting and not-so-frequently discussed topic. In a similar vein, neither the film nor the storyline does anything to bring out the best in the cast. Hollywood legend Jon Voight has a history of success, but his character is lifeless and uninteresting in this film. Similarly, no matter what happens in the film, Adam Woodward’s character never does anything but wear a smoldering expression. Regardless, it is still a good picture to see once.
Man with No Past (2025) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Echoes Through Time: Ryder’s Eternal Struggle
The film opens during World War II, with the Third Reich rounding up civilians and threatening death to anyone caught helping the resistance. The war is on its last legs, and Allied forces, along with the resistance, have started breaking into Germany. We’re introduced to Ryder, a resistance fighter under heavy fire, surrounded by dozens of German soldiers. Next, we see Ryder waking up in a modern city, with no memory of how he got there. Confused, he tries asking the hotel receptionist when he checks in. But it’s no use, and he’s left with more questions than answers.
Ryder often has strange visions of a young girl being chased by a group of people. In these visions, he also sees a woman presumably the girl’s mother showing up across different timelines. Whether it’s during World War II or the height of the Roman Empire, Ryder is always trying to save them both. Ryder recognizes Jack, and Sanborn because they’ve appeared in his visions too but not as allies. In these visions of the past, they’re always scheming to harm the young girl and her mother. In one vision, Sanborn is an easy-to-sway German general, and in another, he’s a Roman king controlled by his minister who always keeps whispering in his ears, telling him what to do.
Progress or Destruction? Paul Sanborn’s Grand Vision
Paul Sanborn is a powerful real estate tycoon in the present timeline, who owns half the city’s buildings. In his final years, he’s focused on his biggest project yet—his personal “Mount Everest.” However, even Paul has his doubts. He knows this massive commercial venture could displace the city’s poorer sections, costing them their homes and livelihoods. Still, his partner and architect, Soach says it’s the right thing to do. Soach believes the project will transform the city for the better. Sure, it might hurt hundreds, maybe thousands, but he sees it as a necessary sacrifice for progress.
Sanborn’s second-in-command is Jack, his henchman who handles all the dirty work, whether it’s leaning on politicians to play ball or shaking down shop owners like Shelly, who runs a respectable bar and restaurant in the city. For his next big project, Paul needs city approval. He’s got most of the council in his pocket, except for Roger Hammond, who is against his development plan. Hammond believes the project will do more harm than good for the city, making him the one thorn in Paul’s side.
Who is Soach & What Does He Hire Ryder For?
Soach reaches out to Ryder, telling him he knows about the visions of the woman and the girl. He even warns Ryder that no amount of medicine will make them go away. Soach also says that they’ve been playing this “game” for a long time and are destined to face off again. In Ryder’s visions, Soach has always been the manipulator—stirring trouble and turning Paul (or his past counterparts) against the young girl, the woman, and even Ryder himself. Across timelines, Soach has consistently twisted the narrative to cause chaos; that’s only fitting since his name is an anagram for it.
Like Ryder, Soach has lived through many timelines. Every time Paul starts having second thoughts, Soach comes in to manipulate him. This time, he suggests they kidnap Roger Hammond’s daughter, Annie, to force him to sign off on the project. To keep tabs on Ryder, Soach convinces Jack to bring him in on the kidnapping job. In case you haven’t noticed, Annie is the same girl Ryder has been seeing in his visions, the one he has been trying to save in every other timeline.
Man with No Past (2025) Movie Ending Explained:
What Becomes of Ryder and Soach?
Paul eventually realizes that kidnapping a young girl is crossing the line and tells Jack to drop the plan but by then, Jack has already switched sides, lured by a better offer from Soach. When Paul tries to intervene, Jack shoots him. During the kidnapping, Ryder changes sides, and turns his gun on Jack and his men, taking them out one by one. In his final moments, Jack remembers that he’s faced Ryder before and lost.
With Jack out of the picture, Ryder points his gun at Soach but hesitates to pull the trigger. Taking advantage, Soach tries to shoot Ryder but ends up getting shot by a wounded Paul instead. Ryder, like in the other timelines, succumbs to a bullet wound after saving the young girl and the woman. But while he falls, Soach survives, and as he walks away Soach says “Till next time.” A small funeral is held for Ryder, attended by Morgan, Shelly, Timmons, and Paul, who have finally shelved his big development project, realizing it’s not what the city needs. So, is this really the end of Ryder’s journey through different eras? Probably not. As Soach hinted, he’ll be back—and chances are, Jack will too. So they’ll soon cross paths in another place, another timeline.
