A Different Man review – an atmospheric, idiosyncratic thriller

Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson are an excellent double act in Aaron Schimberg's effective sophomore feature.

Edward (Sebastian Stan) knows what everyone thinks when they look at him. Having developed neurofibromatosis, a condition which causes large benign tumours to grow on his face, his New York neighbours regard him with disgust, fear or amusement – rarely anything else. While his heart lies in performing, he struggles to book roles as people can’t look past his facial differences. He lives a lonely life in a one-bed apartment, which has recently developed an ominous stain on the ceiling. When a new neighbour moves in and introduces herself as a playwright, Edward is quietly smitten but doubts that the luminous Ingrid (Renate Reinsve) would ever be interested in a man like him.

That is until Edward’s doctor puts him forward for a radical new drug trial that could potentially heal his tumours. For the first time in his adult life, Edward is presented with the possibility of appearing “normal”. He accepts the offer, and his transformation begins. Slowly his skin begins to peel off in grotesque Cronenbergian slivers, and a new, handsome visage appears beneath. Edward is elated – and perhaps quietly horrified – by the results.

Of course a new face – and the success that invariably comes with being attractive by Western beauty standards – can’t change Edward in every single way. While his newfound confidence brings him success in his new career as a realtor, some insecurities are deeply rooted, particularly when he meets Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man who has the same condition he had, but has bags of charisma and charm, seemingly moving through the world with an ease that Edward does not possess even as a new man.

Building on the themes of performance and difference that first emerged in his debut feature Chained for Life, Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man is a bigger budget production but still possesses a wry sense of humour and penchant for the macabre. There’s something of Dostoevsky’s The Double in the staging, and perhaps a touch of David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, albeit with less of the pathos. The other notable reference, whether intentional or not, is possibly the Simpsons episode “Pygmoelian”, in which Moe Szyslak undergoes surgery to give himself a handsome appearance and develops a successful acting career as a result.

The underlying idea that good looks don’t automatically translate into an easier existence, particularly when your personality is less than winning, is a little old hat, but Schimberg breathes new life into the cliches – particularly through the charisma of Adam Pearson, who is a wonderful foil to Sebastian Stan’s nervy, indignant Edward. It’s worth mentioning the excellent production design too, which gives the film a dingy feeling, even when the characters aren’t rehearsing at the theatre.

Although A Different Man slightly runs out of steam in its second half, it’s an effectively atmospheric and idiosyncratic thriller, deftly examining the patronising attitudes that prevail regarding difference and disability, and the knotty topics of authorship and entitlement to other peoples’ stories.

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Published 3 Oct 2024

Tags: Aaron Schimberg