REVIEW: “A Different Man” (2024)

WRITER’S NOTE: The following was originally posted in my Facebook page on February 28, 2025. 

The Substance wasn’t the only film from 2024 that dealt with (and satirized) perceptions of appearance, as well as identity. Writer-director Aaron Schimberg made a dark tragicomedy about a man with facial deformities who undergoes an experimental surgery and gets a regular face. The results, however, come back to haunt him when he meets a man with the same condition—but who embraces it. 

Sebastian Stan stars as the titular shy and introverted Edward (initially in prosthetic makeup), who is used to loneliness and discrimination behind his back. “All unhappiness in life,” says one of his neighbors, “comes from not accepting what is.” His doctors, on the other hand, inquire, “Perhaps, any potential risk is worth the potential reward,” despite potential side effects. Renate Reinsve is his playwright neighbor Ingrid, who takes a liking and interest to Edward’s character. She’s talkative, curious, bright, and non-judgmental. 

When Edward’s face slowly peels off through the course of his “procedure” (in a bizarre but strangely evocative sequence), he starts taking on a new identity (as “Guy”) by changing his apartment, becoming a poster boy at his job, and saying that “Edward” killed himself. Walking down the street and into a bar with his new look, the new Edward is immediately embraced without question. Unbeknownst to him, his neighbor hears about Edward’s “death” and eventually decides to write her next play about him. 

Be careful what you wish for. 

The irony is that Edward starts to stare at his own face and still isn’t happy, especially when he meets the charismatic, lively, and conversational Oswald, who inadvertently complicates Edward’s life and worldview, and making him feel even more isolated or as if his life is being stolen. Adam Pearson (who has neurofibromatosis type 1 in real life) steals the show as the extroverted Oswald, who, unlike Edward, doesn’t hide anything about himself (“I have a reputation for intruding”) and, perhaps, represents everything that Edward isn’t. There’s even the question of whether it’s right or exploitive to cast people/actors with real-life disabilities in stage or screen productions. Edward is a mystery, even to himself. Stan is thoroughly engaging, complicated, and self-conflicted in this role. 

From the opening credits and use of Kodak film stock, A Different Man has a look that recalls 1970s cinema, with said film grain representing reality, while a PSA segment (shot on digital?) in one segment possibly represents performance. Even the dark and whimsical score by Umberto Smerilli feels like it could have been composed by Hitchcock veteran Bernard Hermann. 

The film, unfortunately, features a graphic sex scene that includes full frontal nudity, another scene that implies oral sex, a few references to suicide, and some moments of violence (including one shocking bit). One other thing I had an issue with was a potential plot hole, when Edward’s initial face is removed. I thought, “Just like that?” It made me wonder if his subsequent arc was real, or if it was just a fever dream. 

A signature prop in the story is a facial scan of Edward’s old face, which he uses as a mask when performing. It plays a subsequent key role, during a thought-provoking conversation about the interpretation of the aforementioned play and what was real about it. It even carries into talk of keeping “Edward’s” appearance the same throughout the play and cutting “Guy” out of the show. 

A Different Man blurs the line between performance and reality, and transformation and perception, in a challenging but engrossing way. For a theatre veteran like myself, this was fascinating and immersive. Two scenes that stand out to me are the audition Edward goes to while wearing his old mask (“I am this guy”—and he’s right about that), and a moment when Ingrid decides to change the tone of the play from tragic to happy. (The writing, directing, and acting in this latter scene are all superb and dynamic.) 

Stan mentioned in an interview in 2024 that he would be up for seeing a double feature of this film and The Substance, as both feature similar themes and ideas, despite different tones and genres. (I did that myself over the course of two days recently, and I agree.) Just be careful, as you probably will get hit in the face, just like the leaking ceiling in Edward’s apartment. 

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