The following review was originally part of our 2024 Sundance Film Festival coverage.
Who gets to play what parts? The film industry is ripe with roles that beg the question: was this really the best person to take on this role? Writer-director Aaron Schimberg’s latest film, A Different Man, explores these questions through this extremely dark and absurd comedy, with liberal dashes of body horror that feels almost as if Charlie Kaufman attempted to remake The Fly. A Different Man is deeply uncomfortable and constantly inquisitive, proving to be a bold film that intentionally doesn’t go down easily.
What Is ‘A Different Man’ About?
Sebastian Stan stars as Edward, an aspiring actor whose facial disfigurement makes him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. He’s awkward, shy, and mostly sticks to himself in his dingy apartment. His new neighbor, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), is a writer who promises to write a part for Edward in her next play. Edward decides to take part in a new medical trial that will theoretically fix his deformity, and after globs of flesh start peeling off his face, the man underneath, well, looks like Sebastian Stan.
Some time later, Edward claims the old him is dead, and he finally has the confidence and face that he’s always wanted. He’s become a successful realtor and his coworker has nicknamed him “Fabio”. One day, Edward discovers that Ingrid is putting on a play called “Edward,” and the now handsome actor decides to try out for the part based on him. While he gets the lead part in this play about his former self—with Ingrid unaware that this actor is her inspiration—he is thrown off by another man, the confident Oswald (Adam Pearson), who starts helping with the play and has a similar look to the old Edward.
Before his transformation, the world seems to always be at odds with Edward. His ceiling is leaking black goop, people stare at him on the subway, and the various tumors attached to his face make it hard for him to hear. At times in this first half, A Different Man almost reminds of the unrelenting oppressive nature of the world in Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid, as we see the uncomfortable existence of Edward through his eyes and feel his constant struggle. Edward’s world is almost too much to bear, as the sound design is jarring, and Schimberg makes us worry about how his life could become even more unbearable. While Edward’s story in the first half is suffocating as a way to contrast with Oswald’s life once we meet him, Schimberg’s approach can sometimes feel like he’s almost too merciless to our sympathetic lead—as if he’s punishing Edward for mistakes he’ll make later in the story.
Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson Are Brilliant Together in ‘A Different Man’
Stan is quite excellent as Edward. As Edward, he hides behind his deformity—a stark contrast to how Oswald doesn’t let his face get him down—making him a very insular, bashful character that mostly wants to retreat from the world. Stan’s performance is most remarkable as the transformation is taking place. Even though he’s now got a handsome face, he still maneuvers around the world as he used to, shoulders slumped and trying to remain as invisible as he possibly can. Even when Edward becomes this new version of himself, we can see how his unhappiness now comes from different places, as he starts to crawl back into himself once more. Stan is able to present both sides of Edward with varying types of sadness, capturing a person realizing that his problems weren’t solved by cosmetic adjustments.
A Different Man, however, begins to pick up steam with the inclusion of Oswald, especially in moments where Edward sees how gregarious Oswald is, and his jealousy starts to take hold. Pearson excels at playing Oswald as a man who is liked by everyone, but also, a character that we can understand why Edward would hate him. It’s almost as if every person who shares their appreciation for Oswald, or every time Oswald is more outgoing than Edward was, Edward takes it as a personal affront.
Watching this balance between Stan and Pearson not only gives us these two actors at their best, but also allows Schimberg to ask larger questions about exploitation, representation, and how we treat those with disabilities. Schimberg does all of this through his increasingly preposterous concept, ratcheting up Edward’s insecurities about who he was and who he has become. The only problem is that Schimberg seems more interested in seeing how far he can take this ludicrous idea than making any real statement on these ideas. As Edward, Oliver, and Ingrid start to collaborate together on the play, we can see how issues of who should play what roles, and how important consulting the people being represented is start to naturally flow into the narrative, but these questions never quite seem to be as interesting as the farcical elements to Schimberg.
Schimberg’s exploration of identity and representation has the best of intentions, but the more audacious aspects of A Different Man often overwhelm the interesting themes at the center of the film. But the performances of Stan and Pearson and how they balance each other, and the questions that Schimberg is addressing, are certainly more than worthwhile to explore in this wild story.
A Different Man is now playing in theaters. Click below for showtimes near you.
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