Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong are fine in the Apprentice. A Different Man was a better film…
Oof. Do you think Jeremy Strong’s neck hurt from craning it the entire movie?
There’s a way to tell the story of an opaque, pampered rich kid failing upward that’s subtle and full of nuance—The Apprentice is not that. Instead, we get a psychotic millionaire whose only fault is being too successful, a portrayal that fails to explore the unsettling truth of the system it depicts. Rather than focusing on the absurdity of a hedge fund kid bleeding the system dry, the film falls into the biopic trap, offering a triumphant protagonist when it should’ve simply left us in discomfort, questioning the structure of it all. The result is a film that's both insensitive to history and devoid of depth—more interested in dog-whistle visual tropes than offering any real commentary.
The performances? They are surface level. That’s the problem—these great, idiosyncratic impressions are just that: impressions. The Apprentice is little more than a parade of costumes, with Sebastian Stan’s eerily accurate Trump impersonation standing out in a film that never commits to a cohesive tone. Stan’s portrayal of the Donald Trump of today is impressive, but that’s the issue: it’s the Trump of today, not the Trump of 1985. There’s no depth or emotional weight to it, just a surface-level imitation. The film might resemble history, but it’s no lifelike replica. When asked to show true emotion, Stan falls short, and the film is left floundering in its lack of substance.
Ultimately, it's about the project serving the actor in the way it should. Sebastian Stan, one of my favorite actors working today, and has the skill and presence to carry drama with remarkable depth. I can’t help but feel that Stan’s A Different Man deserves far more attention than his Trump role.
A Different Man is a sharp, witty exploration of human insecurity and our perceptions of beauty, one that never lapses into being cold or alienating. It strikes a perfect balance between melodrama and absurd humor, making us laugh at the absurdity of the characters’ circumstances rather than ridiculing them.
Sebastian Stan anchors this film with an extraordinary physical performance that stands among the best of the year. His character evolves both mentally and physically, and Stan nails every transformation—whether it’s subtle or extreme. As he slides deeper into jealousy and paranoia, the film itself becomes increasingly unhinged, blurring the line between reality and surreality. The message of A Different Man is clear: external changes can’t fix internal problems, and Stan’s performance brings that idea to life in ways that The Apprentice never does.
The contrast between Stan’s character and Adam Pearson’s confident, charismatic portrayal of a man whom Stan’s character wishes he could be is brilliantly drawn. Pearson should also be nominated here, but that’s a discussion for a different time. The two actors elevate the film through their dynamic, with Pearson adding depth to Stan’s journey. On top of all this, A Different Man serves as a satirical, meta commentary on how media and art depict people with disfigurements, offering a refreshing, socially probing perspective that is often missing in contemporary cinema.
A Different Man is a delightful, surreal joyride that’s both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging. Endings are difficult—the last shot of this film is such a delightfully perfect punchline. The irony, of course, is that while Stan’s role in The Apprentice requires him to wear layers of makeup to transform into a version of Donald Trump, A Different Man is all about the futility of pretending to be someone you're not. The point it makes—how such transformations ultimately leave you feeling hollow—is exactly what The Apprentice amounts to in the end; hollow and unsatisfying. Stan’s character in A Different Man learns that pretending only gets you so far. Sorry, but Stan should be recognized for more than simply pretending to be Trump in a lackluster biopic.
If there’s any role he deserves praise for this year, it’s his nuanced, transformative performance in A Different Man—a film that fully embraces the complexity of identity—rather than his flat, makeup-heavy turn in The Apprentice.