As somebody who watches quite a lot of movies (I’ve seen more than 90 flicks in theaters in 2024 to date), I’ve become increasingly good at picking up narrative and tonal patterns over the years. Turns out, a lot of mainstream movies are kind of similar in their construction. So, when something comes along that genuinely catches me off guard it always ranks high in my estimations, and that was exactly the case with “A Different Man."
This psychological thriller, which also blends in a thick dose of dark comedy and plenty of character-driven drama, was very much not the movie I expected having only read a brief synopsis ahead of watching. I anticipated a schmaltzy tear-jerker that would see Sebastian Stan wear a lot of makeup and chew the scenery in an effort to scoop an Oscar nomination. Instead, I got one of the very best movies of 2024 and a remarkably clever flick that goes in fresh directions.
Sadly, “A Different Man” had a very limited theatrical run so I barely had time to recommend it to more than a couple of friends and family members before it was already gone from cinemas. Fortunately, the day I’ve been waiting for has arrived, “A Different Man” is now available to stream on PVOD platforms including Amazon and Apple. And I’m here to convince you to go watch it.
The movie sees Sebastian Stan give his best performance to date (and I thought the Avengers alumnus was already pretty fantastic in “The Apprentice”) and is a masterclass in so many departments, especially character writing. Here’s why “A Different Man” is one of the best movies you (probably) skipped in theaters, but should stream this week…
What is ‘A Different Man’ about?
In ‘A Different Man’, Sebastian Stan transforms himself to play Edward, a timid aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis that has resulted in a disfiguring facial condition. Meeting his new neighbor, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), and subsequentially developing romantic feelings for her, pushes Edward to undergo a radical medical procedure that transforms his appearance.
Assuming a new identity as Guy Moratz, he becomes wealthy and conventionally attractive, and when he learns that Ingrid is directing a play about her experience with Edward, he auditions and is cast in the lead role. Soon after he meets Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man who also has neurofibromatosis, and it’s here that Guy’s seemingly perfect new life begins to unravel.
As Guy becomes increasingly irritated by Oswald's confidence and outgoing nature and struggles to accept that the procedure has only altered his outward appearance — leaving the emotionally damaged person underneath unchanged — his mental state begins to spiral and his anger eventually boils over.
‘A Different Man’ is genre-hopping genius
One of the most fantastic elements of “A Different Man” is how many genres it crosses into. It’s a comedy, drama and thriller rolled into one appealing package, and thanks to the transformative medical procedure that sees Edward’s face literally fall off, there are even some body horror and sci-fi aspects to this multifaceted flick. Remarkably director Aaron Schimberg manages to bring all these different parts together into a hugely satisfying (and cohesive) whole.
The movie’s biggest strength comes from it’s performances. Sebastian Stan gives a career-best performance fully transforming himself to become Edward, and then while he might look his usual handsome self while playing Guy, it’s easily the more challenging role, and Stan fully becomes this unlikeable, but also tragic, figure. Though for as much as I love Stan’s work, it’s Adam Pearson who steals the show as Oswald. This smooth-talking charismatic charmer is everything Edward/Guy wishes he could be, but Oswald has a passive-aggressive element that feels intentional and adds character depth.
“A Different Man” defies audience expectations pretty much right from the start. You might assume you know where it’s going in the first act (I know I certainly did), but frequent narrative wrinkles shake things up and will keep you guessing throughout. It also does a fantastic job of questioning viewers’ assumptions about certain characters and holding up a mirror to how appearances can shape how we’re perceived by others and, crucially, how we perceive ourselves.
I’m not the only one impressed with “A Different Man” either. The movie currently holds an impressive 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with that percentage coming from 150 reviews (so it’s certainly not a small sample size of critics). Its viewer's score is also strong at 82%. And, if curious about my personal ranking, it’s currently No. 11 out of the 90 movies I’ve in cinemas in 2024.
“Come to this clever satire for Sebastian Stan’s radical transformation, beyond the prosthetics, but stay for Adam Pearson’s remarkable performance as a bona fide matinée idol,” said Iana Murray of Empire Magazine. Meanwhile, writing for the New York Times, Alissa Wilkinson, labeled the movie “Shrewd, and fantastic, and something all its own.” An assessment I would certainly echo.
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times summed up the movie quite perfectly, saying “This is a quirky and often bleak treatise designed to make us think uncomfortable thoughts about self-identity and how physical beauty can't save your soul if you're ugly inside.”
You should stream ‘A Different Man’ right now
“A Different Man” seems destined to be featured in numerous “best movies you missed” roundups as we speed towards the end of the year. Its box office takings were relatively meager (it grossed less than $1.5 million total), and at least based on my feeds, it didn’t make a huge impression on social media either. I’m really hoping its streaming debut will give it the second wind it desperately deserves.
This is a very special movie, anchored by two stunning performances. I should also note that Renate Reinsve is similarly great at Ingrid (if a little underutilized) and Michael Shannon pops up for a brilliant cameo playing a fictionalized version of himself. “A Different Man” is funny, compelling and pretty dark in a few moments. The movie has also got plenty to say, and all of it is worth hearing.
If all my praise above hasn’t quite convinced you that “A Different Man” is a movie deserving of your precious viewing time this week, check out our full roundup of the top new movies available to stream this week which includes Netflix’s first-holiday flick of the festive season, "Meet Me Next Christmas".
Buy or rent "A Different Man" on Amazon or Apple now
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