A Different Man: A Surreal and Unsettling Exploration of Identity
Aaron Schimberg's A Different Man, distributed by A24, is a daring, entertaining, and absolutely new movie on the topics of identity, appearance and reinvention. Its actors Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, and Renate Reinsve stood out with their compelling performances. It is both painful, disturbing and funny as it explores three genres - psychological thriller, body-horror and dark comedy. This film absolutely complements other films in A24 catalogue which is well-known for its out-of-the-frame movies.
From the very first scenes in A Different man one notices the originality of the work and hitherto unknown power of its presentation. Edward is a character played by Sebastian Stan who enjoys upsetting the audience with vivid remembrances about a man with a facial deformity. The physical and emotional changes in the character is fortunately terrifying toured through the unappealing path. At this moment in the movie after radical changes of the face Edward feels that he has become Stan. The actor thus portrays the dilemma faced by everyone straddling between the two times. It is disturbing how their character fights against the very things however that that were supposed to liberate him.
To me, it was striking how the film approached identity, particularly how it was shown to the audience how Edward’s new life does not deliver the gratification that he wanted. There is complexity with the character of Oswald, played by Adam Pearson, who is the very physique that Edward wants to escape from. There is a disconnect between Pearson's confidence and Edward's continuing lack of mustering it, which creates suspense.
Whereas other reviewers felt uneasy in their reservations that the film splashes around in a few genres and jumps a little too energetically for their own good, I found the film’s fresh ideas and its will to shock very enthralling. Yes, perhaps, such film cannot be found amongst the best of the Oscars, however, it has everything to be a cult masterpiece. The unusual plot along with the outstanding cast in particular Stan makes A Different Man a more than ordinary but a film every seeking a novel and provocative idea should watch.