Our take
“Inner beauty is what counts” is a cliche many films have tried and failed to tackle, but A Different Man manages to make it feel unsettlingly new. The film follows Edward, a disfigured man who lives a normal but lonely life. No one is overtly mean to Edward—in fact, many are nice—but he’s consumed by the thought of What If. What if he looked like everyone else? Would his neighbor Ingrid finally make a move on him? Would he be the actor he dreamed he’d be? Would he finally get fewer stares on the street? Those questions are answered when a medical trial transforms his face, but they’re rarely pleasant. A Different Man is a dark comedy with some hints of meta; Stan’s character provides the tragedy, Pearson delivers the wry humor, while Reinsve, as the playwright in charge of dramatizing Edward’s life, is the source of the film’s meta-commentary. It’s the weakest link of the three–it feels like a cop-out when it forgives itself for being “exploitative” but the rest of the film’s elements gel to make a modern parable of sorts about appearance and contentment.
Streaming arrival
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Berlin
1 win
Golden Globes
1 win
Spirit Awards
2 noms
Sundance
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
LAFCA
1 nom
The story
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.
Elsewhere
"Schimberg may have concocted a madly inventive thought experiment, but to say that A Different Man merely deconstructs itself would miss how completely and satisfyingly it comes together. It’s a thing of beauty."
— Justin Chang
"Although A Different Man slightly runs out of steam in its second half, it’s an effectively atmospheric and idiosyncratic thriller..."
— Hannah Strong
Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a medicinal trial that completely changes his face. He takes the opportunity to take on a new identity but finds himself drawn to his past life, particularly to his neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve) and newcomer Oswald (Adam Pearson).
Pearson being the most charming and likable person in the film is a very welcome surprise.
It’s like a modern-day The Double by Dostoevsky.
Who picked it
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
