A film I missed while it played in theaters, Aaron Schimberg’s “A Different Man” is the kind of film that leaves you disoriented in the best way possible. It’s a film that forces you to question the very nature of what you’re watching.
Edward (Sebastian Stan) is a loner. He spends his days adrift in a New York apartment where the ceiling peels like old paint, and the walls seem to close in on his solitude. He’s an actor, but not in any glamorous sense. Edward works min industrial shorts, those corporate training videos made to teach new hires about diversity and inclusion. He barely engages with anyone and doesn’t seem to care about the work, and drifts through life without friends or family. He exists, but only just.
Edward has neurofibromatosis, a condition that disfigures his face. When he looks in the mirror, he doesn’t see himself, he sees a deformed stranger staring back. That’s how most of the world sees him, too, but not everyone.
Enter Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), a beautiful playwright who moves in next door. She’s magnetic, an energetic force that cuts through Edward’s self loathing. He falls for her immediately, but it’s not Ingrid the person who captivates him. Ingrid, for all her charm, is not without her own motives. She’s genuinely drawn to Edward, not despite his flaws but because of them. To her, Edward is a puzzle, a minefield of experiences she can excavate for her writing.
In an attempt to erase himself entirely, Edward undergoes an experimental treatment that sheds his deformities and becomes the physically beautiful version of himself. Unable to stomach life as the man he was, he declares himself dead and reinvents his identity and has a new life as Guy, a slick real estate agent known for selling houses on the strength of his good looks. His new world begins to crack when Ingrid reappears. Ingrid used his life as fodder for her breakthrough play and Edward/guy becomes disturbingly obsessed with playing his old self in a stage production.
To further complicate Edward/Guy’s life, Adam Pearson as Oswald enters the production and becomes the centerpiece, diminishing Edward’s role in the production in favor of Oswald who has the condition that Edward previously had. Pearson brings an energy to Oswald that’s both disarming and magnetic with an offbeat charisma.
Oswald’s good-natured confidence is so effortless that annoys Edward. The more Edward learns about Oswald’s self-assured outlook and easy fulfillment, the more he spirals into envy and regret, unable to reconcile the person he is with the person he desperately wishes to be. Edward’s psyche begins to unravel.
Sebastian Stan’s performance as Edward/Guy is a masterclass in subtlety and restraint. The film’s psychological focus keeps the character’s emotions simmering below the surface, and Stan communicates Edward’s inner turmoil through quiet expressions and nervous mannerisms. Renate Reinsve is equally compelling as Ingrid, whose seemingly effervescent energy hides layers of self-interest. Her play, central to the film’s narrative, ultimately reveals more about her than it ever does about Edward.
Schimberg has created a film that feels like it’s always one step ahead, racing through genres and tones, one moment it’s a black comedy, the next it’s delving into body horror, and then suddenly you’re in the middle of an existential sci-fi nightmare. Adding to the film’s nightmarish effect is the quality of Wyatt Garfield’s Super 16mm cinematography. The very grainy texture and muted color palette create an atmosphere that feels both grounded and eerie as if the film itself is disassociating alongside Edward. The score, an unsettling blend of minimalism and dissonance, keeps you on edge, never letting you settle into a sense of comfort. By the time the film reaches its cryptic conclusion, you’re left grappling with the idea of reality. “A Different Man” is messy, strange, and utterly unforgettable
A Different Man is up for an award in the 97th Academy Awards and is available on various streaming platforms.
