by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
After undergoing radical treatment for his condition, an actor becomes obsessed with another actor who seems to be taking over his life in A Different Man.
Edward is a man stricken with a severe case of neurofibromatosis, disfiguring his face. He works as an actor when a new neighbor moves in next door. Ingrid, the neighbor, is a playwright who opens up to Edward and shares life with him. One day, Edward’s doctor shares news of a radical new treatment that has undergone human testing. Edward agrees to enter the program hoping to be cured. The cure works and Edward’s face is healed. Now with a new identity, Edward looks like a new man. Unfortunately, Edward is not a new man. While everything around him is changing, he realizes that he doesn’t want the change.
A Different Man is written and directed by Aaron Schimberg. It stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson, Owen Kline, Charlies Korsmo, Patrick Wang, and Michael Shannon.
There are a lot of good things about this film. The acting. The message. And then there are some bad things.
First the good, the acting. Sebastian Stan is fantastic. Throughout the journey that Edward goes on, Stan is completely transparent in the range of conflicted emotions that he is feeling. Even through the makeup, Stan shows what Edward is feeling. The audience easily buys into what is going on with Edward. Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis, is equally fantastic. He exudes an uninhibited joy touched with a tinge of sneakiness that is so much fun to watch.
There is an obvious message in the movie and one that is not so obvious but equally present. The obvious message is the same that we have seen in other films, no matter what is on the outside, it’s the inside that counts. Edward suffers from low self-esteem and governs his every move and every decision. When he is “cured”, his first thought is that everything will be better. Sadly, his internal change is nowhere near as dramatic as his outer one. His lack of security turns to jealousy when he encounters Oswald who is thriving despite having the same “affliction” as he had.
The message that is just under the surface, not so obvious but equally present, is one of tolerance. Throughout the movie, there are very few negative reactions to Edward’s visage. There are no negative reactions toward Oswald at all. The acting job that Edward has taken on is a public service announcement about how to interact with those who have facial deformities. If there were a few more negative reactions to Edward’s presence, it could help the audience understand his motivations.
This is the one big problem with the movie. While it is clear to us what Edward is feeling at the moment, we are given no understanding of his motivations. Why does he have such poor esteem? Why does he desire to enter into the experimental treatment program? Is it because of him or because he wants to be more intimate with Ingrid? These plot holes (and a couple of others) are a hindrance to the true enjoyment of the movie.
Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and some violent content, A Different Man is a different movie. It takes the Frankenstein monster and turns it on its head. The ultimate moral of the story is, to be a good person on the inside and everyone will ignore the outside. It’s a good story but it could have been better.
A Different Man is in theaters starting September 27, 2024.
Grade: C+