Review by Robbie Fleming
After having a lot of fun doing the Christmas film-off, I thought of one perfect follow-up. This month’s theme? Sebastian Stan. This Marvel star brought two fantastic films in 2024, which will be the contenders for this film-off.
The first film is Ali Abbasi’s drama The Apprentice, which sees Stan play Donald Trump and focuses on Trump’s friendship with Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong).
The second film is Aaron Schimberg’s surreal black comedy thriller A Different Man, where Stan plays a man with a facial disfigurement whose life-changing operation turns into a nightmare.
Which film is better? Let’s start with The Apprentice.
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The Apprentice
Director: Ali Abbasi
Studio: Rich Spirit
Before I begin this review I would like to state that I will not be talking about any politics within this review and will judge it on its film merits. I understand it’s important to talk about political issues in the United States, but I will hold off on mentioning my political views here today.
With that said, let’s crack on.
This drama reminded me of 2023’s BlackBerry in the sense that, even though they disclaim this is a fictionalized retelling of Trump’s past, the gritty honesty still feels present in the story. It's an interesting story about Trump in his early days in the real estate business, as well as how he became the Trump we know today.
The film's visual style carries the gritty tone and presents itself with raw shots that feel like they’re straight out of a documentary. This raw style of filmmaking elevates the film, making it feel more honest in its portrayal of these events. I also praise the score and soundtrack for adding to the tone and style. The story and visuals try to make every moment feel like it was true to what happened, even if some events aren’t fully accurate.
Sebastian Stan looks the part to play Trump, managing to capture his appearance and mannerisms. However, he doesn’t sound like Trump in this film, and it doesn’t feel like he’s fully embodying him—it’s more like an actor playing a role. While I do praise Martin Donovan and Maria Bakalova for their roles in the film, it’s Jeremy Strong’s performance as Roy Cohn that stands out the most. His performance feels more like an embodiment compared to Stan’s.
Overall, The Apprentice is an engaging drama that delivers what I personally think is an honest portrayal of Trump, telling his rise-to-power story in an interesting way. The gritty style of filmmaking and storytelling makes this film worth watching, along with Jeremy Strong’s brilliant performance as Roy Cohn. However, Stan’s portrayal of Trump feels more like he’s playing himself playing Trump, rather than fully embodying the role—which is my main gripe with this film.
I give The Apprentice a rating of 4.5/5 and 9/10.
A Different Man
Director: Aaron Schimberg
Studio: A24
The storytelling in this film is what makes it gripping. While it's not a traditional horror film, it features horror elements that make it slide on the border of horror and thriller. The film's heart lies within the drama of how a life-changing operation can go wrong—and not in the way you’d expect. The screenplay is the highlight, as the story and dialogue feel natural, and the narrative plays out logically enough for you to believe that a situation like this could happen.
The visual style is very impressive and feels like a mix of a Terry Gilliam film and a Pedro Almodóvar film. It has the surreal visual storytelling Gilliam is known for, combined with the melodramatic and gritty style of Almodóvar.
I think Aaron Schimberg has done a fantastic job bringing this film to life and managing to blend different styles of filmmaking. The experimental style Schimberg employs is what makes this film stand out in many different ways.
Sebastian Stan delivers, in my opinion, one of his best performances here, proving that he's a talented and versatile actor. Renate Reinsve, the star of The Worst Person in the World, also shines in her role, and I’m happy to see her again in another fantastic project. However, the star of the show is Adam Pearson, who steals every scene he appears in. Stan, Reinsve, and Pearson all give fantastic performances here and have now kind of become my favorite ensemble in a film this year.
Overall, A Different Man is probably the most underrated film I’ve seen all year, and I wish people were talking about it more. The acting, screenplay, visual style, and Schimberg’s direction all make this stand out to me as one of my biggest surprises of the year. For me, A Different Man is a fantastic film that earns masterpiece status: 10/10 and 5 out of 5 stars.
If you’d rather avoid The Apprentice for political reasons, you don’t want to miss A Different Man if you still want to see Sebastian Stan at his finest!
Verdict
Both A Different Man and The Apprentice are solid films from 2024 and great entries in Sebastian Stan’s filmography. While The Apprentice is a gritty and honest portrayal of Trump’s rise to power, I give this round to A Different Man for two reasons: first, because the storytelling was more unique and relatable; and second, because Sebastian Stan gave a better performance as the grounded character compared to the larger-than-life Trump.
I highly recommend you check out both films. However, I think A Different Man ranks as the superior film of the two.
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