Different Man, A

USA 2024, 112 minutes
Dir. Aaron Schimberg
Rating: [M] Violence, offensive language, sex scenes, nudity, suicide & content that may disturb
Genres: Drama, Comedy / Black Comedy, Independent

Topics: Mind-bender.

Feat. Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson

“A movie that’s about—and asks its lead to literally and figuratively wear—masks, A Different Man is a multifaceted meta mind-melter.”~Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

Aroview: An unforgettable drama about a disfigured aspiring actor who undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance.

The plot is hinged on the inspiration and participation of Adam Pearson (Under the Skin), a British actor who in real life is disfigured by neurofibromatosis. Its tale of physical transfiguration is given a Charlie Kaufman-style meta-treatment though the device of a stageplay in which the two actors tussle over the role they were “born to play” as well as the affections of the play’s director (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World). It’s not always comfortable viewing but offers a full-bodied interrogation of its premise, which makes it a ‘body horror’ of true substance.

NZ International Film Festival 2024