That old notion of the grass always being greener gets taken into a darkly funny and provocative direction in A24’s latest film, A Different Man. That’s largely thanks to the never-better Sebastian Stan and his lead character’s uproarious rise and fall in New York. Folks are rightfully calling A Different Man Stan’s best performance to date. What’s even more remarkable is how well it pairs with Stan’s performance as Donald Trump in his next release, The Apprentice. The films make for a surreal diptych about power, presentation, and New York.
But in the meantime, feast on this deliciously absurd satire of a man’s search for true identity and purpose. A Different Man comes from writer-director Aaron Schimberg and also stars Adam Pearson (Under the Skin), the two of whom last collaborated on the indie feature Chained for Life (2018). Clearly, their mojo together works, and Stan and Pearson’s standout roles are bound to make the award-circuit round this upcoming season. For his part, Schimberg continues to build a fascinating cinematic oeuvre focused on the nature of performance and the perception of disability. This is a filmmaker who is doing something new, and he has the cinematic know-how to do so (he opened his last film with a Pauline Kael quote, after all).
Sebastian Stan’s Red-Hot Year in Cinema
The internet was briefly set abuzz when folks began seeing Stan’s transformation for A Different Man in images from the film. Then came the quirky trailer more recently, which was aptly cut to LCD Soundsystem’s classic song, “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down,” more than fitting for Schimberg’s new stunner of a feature.
The film hardly begins with gut-busting laughter, and if you judge by the trailer, you can probably predict protagonist Edward’s journey as an Aristotelian tragedy. But that doesn’t mean commercial audiences will be bored until the more comedic edge kicks off in the second act. Until then, it’s an intriguing peek into the life of a New York City resident whose facial disfigurement resembles neurofibromatosis. He gets all sorts of stares from people on the subway, and the aspiring actor is only able to land gigs that exploit his medical condition, aka cheesy workplace PSAs that promote camaraderie and empathy for one’s co-workers.
It only gets bleaker when Edward returns home to an apartment with a ceiling on the verge of collapse. It’s a meek existence in a rundown building with incomprehensibly noisy neighbors, but there is a bright spot in one of the neighbors. Ingrid is a compassionate woman and aspiring playwright, and she’s played with a certain majestic quirkiness by Renate Reinsve, who previously played the phenomenal title character in The Worst Person in the World (2021). She can also be spotted in the recent Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, but A Different Man is her real time to shine in the English language. She’s fantastic opposite Stan, pushing his character to open up as they develop a neighborly friendship.
Then comes a certain medical procedure opportunity that could very well change everything pertaining to his facial disfigurement — as long as he’s not given the placebo pills in this clinical trial. And lo and behold, as the trailer promises, Edward may have been supplied the right stuff after he finally gives in to temptation and follows through with the daunting experiment.
Peeling Back the Surface? Or Peeling It On?
A Different Man succeeds on so many levels, particularly in the way Edward’s personality changes once the tumors on his face start falling off. It’s a symbolic moment watching him cry, almost as if in agony, as he peels away the disfigured layer to reveal Sebastian Stan as we’ve come to know him through acclaimed features like Interstellar, Fresh, Dumb Money, Pam & Tommy, and more. You’ll see why Edward’s tears here are a clever foreshadowing device for later in this harrowing journey through the NYC theater scene — but in the meantime, watch as he musters the confidence to waltz into dive bars, cozy up with pretty ladies, and even approach Ingrid with a newfound ambition.
The kicker? He takes on a new name, acting like Edward moved out of the apartment, with Ingrid buying into the con. But as stated earlier in this review, the grass is always greener. We soon realize that Ingrid has written a play about the earlier version of Edward she took a liking to, and since new-Edward is utterly dashing, she’ll need to find someone else to play his role. Uh-oh!
Adam Pearson Playing Sebastian Stan Playing Adam Pearson
That’s when a testosterone-fueled actor swoops in to save the day, strutting into the theater in the form of the ever-so-charming Oswald (Pearson) to play the part. Yes, he looks like pre-treatment Edward — and is played by an actor who actually lives with neurofibromatosis. He’s funny, warmhearted… and he can sing! Plus, who can resist that velvety British accent of his? Newly “handsome” and renewed, Edward realizes that, in remaking himself, he has been replaced.
That’s when Edward starts to brutally spiral. Stan puts on a clinic of physical comedy that might just be revisited in acting classes down the line for inspiration. A bitter jealousy of everything Oswald has drives Edward to drastic measures, leading to horrific injuries and worse. Watch out for a downright hysterical image of an utterly jaded Edward getting spoon-fed his meal because of how low he has stooped, on a physical, emotional and mental level. It’s meme-worthy material that will leave the theater hollering around you (or wincing in discomfort if they can’t handle the dark humor).
And there’s plenty else to eat up in A Different Man, aptly titled for more reasons than one. This is not just a morbidly hilarious movie, but a bold, almost pioneering one in many ways, and one that never compromises. (However, some audiences may wish it compromised just a tad with the ending, which is abrupt). We predict it will be a busy year for Stan and Pearson, at the very least. From A24, A Different Man will be released in theaters on September 20.
