A Different Man Review: Sebastian Stan Showcases His Acting Range in Surreal Comedy

   November 23, 2024

Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man for A24 feels fresh from the start. Shot with a unique, slightly offbeat style, the film is both funny and clever for long stretches. It showcases Sebastian Stan‘s continued success in artful, satirical projects like Fresh and The Apprentice.

The movie follows Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan), a struggling actor with facial deformities from neurofibromatosis. His condition forces him into a reclusive life, with minimal human interaction that often acknowledges his deformities. This has led his acting career to a point where he can only find roles in workplace harassment videos for those with disabilities.

Sebastian Stan in A Different Man (2024)
Sebastian Stan in A Different Man (2024)

Edward is offered an experimental medical procedure that cures his facial deformities. As we transition from the first to the second act, Sebastian Stan takes center stage, free from the impressive prosthetics that make you question if he’s behind them. Edward starts to assimilate back into society, feeling comfortable in places like bars and parks filled with townspeople.

The only issue is that his next-door neighbor, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve – The Worst Person in the World, Handling the Undead), liked Edward before his facial transformation. Edward doesn’t have the courage to tell Ingrid about his surgery. Instead, he approaches her under a new alias: Guy Moratz.

Guy learns that Ingrid has written a play based on her experiences with Edward and insists on playing the lead role. The two start a romantic relationship, with Ingrid unaware that Guy used to be Edward. This situation creates great situational comedic moments, as Guy perfectly fits what Ingrid is looking for in the lead role.

Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve have great on-screen chemistry. Their relationship, although just a steamy affair between director and lead actor, is unsettling and surreal. It’s fascinating and deserving of your attention. This is one of Stan’s best performances in an arthouse film, and Reinsve has rarely been this commanding since The Worst Person in the World.

Their relationship begins to deteriorate when Oswald (Adam Pearson), another man with neurofibromatosis, enters the picture. He takes an interest in Ingrid’s play and eventually becomes involved in the production and their romantic life. Pearson is captivating as Oswald, exuding confidence and charisma despite his deformities—traits Edward struggled with. The power struggle intensifies as Oswald and Guy vie for Ingrid’s attention both on stage and in public.

Adam Pearson in A Different Man (2024)
Adam Pearson in A Different Man (2024)

This is where A Different Man slightly loses its way for me. The plot becomes heavily meta-textual, almost like a closed loop where Ingrid seems destined to find one man with neurofibromatosis after another. At one point, Oswald moves into Guy’s old apartment right across from Ingrid’s, signaling that Oswald has completely taken over Guy’s life, just as Edward was.

Although the story sometimes feels like it’s chasing its own tail, Aaron Schimberg deserves praise for his calculated setup, precise direction, and visual flair. A Different Man is not just intellectually stimulating, but it also offers a bright, grainy color palette and shot design that recalls old school B-movies. It’s schlocky in all the best ways while maintaining a serious script and story about valuing yourself and staying confident in your abilities.

A Different Man is a satirical take on toxic masculinity, similar to how The Substance addressed the self-consciousness of aging for women. They appeal to different genders for the same reason. It’s wonderfully strange but never loses sight of its goal.

Score: 6/10

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