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Review by Jamnes Lindorf
Writer and Director Aaron Schimberg is best known for exploring how medical afflictions impact how the world perceives his characters and how they view themselves and the world in return. His latest film, “A Different Man,” the newest offering from prestige studio A24, has been experiencing an expanded release schedule since September 20th and will open in new markets, including Indianapolis, on October 4th.
Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) stars as Edward, an aspiring actor with a facial disfigurement caused by uncontrolled benign tumor growths. He resides in a modest apartment and only secures acting jobs in office training videos about working with people with disabilities. He moves through life with few connections, but he forms a unique bond with Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), a playwright who has just moved into his building. After enrolling in a clinical trial, Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure that drastically alters his appearance. Liberated from the weight of societal judgment, Edward is free to live the life he has always dreamed of, working in real estate. However, when his new path introduces him to Oswald (Adam Pearson), Edward’s life spirals out of control as his focus shifts to what could have been.
So many great things happen in “A Different Man,” which makes the third act fumble even more disappointing. Stan disappears behind the makeup and beautifully embodies a man beaten down by life who still manages to find hope in the small career successes and the fleeting moments with Ingrid and others who accept him as he is. The film is heart-wrenching when it makes clear that moments that may be pivotal to Edward could have just been another Tuesday for someone else. Using the expanding leaking in Edward’s ceiling was a great visual representation of his inner turmoil. When it seems that it can’t get any worse, the super shows up to fix the leak, and Edward turns to modern medicine, hoping to cure all that ails him.
Adam Pearson delivers a delightful performance as Oswald, a character who radiates joy and charisma despite his imperfections. Even when Edward is inclined to dislike Oswald, he finds himself drawn to him due to his kind and infectious personality. Renate Reinsve’s Ingrid is arguably the most morally complex character of the three. She is open and genuine with Edward, yet she often adopts a cool and detached persona with others. The heart of her play is as clear as day, but it remains unspoken, treated as a creation of her imagination and pen.
Early in the film, Schimberg sets a great tone and pace for his story. However, in the third act and nearing the climax, the character’s actions seem geared to elicit a shocked reaction from the audience more than anything. This emotional dark comedy takes a turn for the slapstick introducing violence, arrests, cults, and Edwards’s crippling inability to be honest with anyone, even himself. “A Different Man” is an enjoyable, mostly well-constructed film, but the turn will be too much for some audience members, dropping its scorn to 3.5 out of 5.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Director: Aaron Schimberg
Producer: Christine Vachon, Vanessa McDonnell, Gabriel Mayers
Screenwriter: Aaron Schimberg
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Killer Films, Grand Motel Films, A24
Rating: R (Some Violent Content|Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Language)
Release Date (Limited): September 20th, 2024
Runtime: 1h 52m
