Bruiser is the story of a man who has always tried to fit in. He keeps his mouth shut, follows the rules, and does what he’s supposed to do. But one morning, he wakes up to find his face is gone. All the years of acquiescence have cost him the one thing he can’t replace: his identity. Now he’s a blank, outside as well as in, an anonymous, featureless phantom. Bent on exacting revenge, he explodes. He isn’t going to follow the rules anymore.

During summer break, 14-year-old Darious explores the boundaries of his manhood through tumultuous interactions with Malcolm his strict father and a burgeoning mentorship with mysterious drifter Porter.