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Edward's transformation backfires, leading to obsession and loss of identity in a darkly funny New York setting.
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Why watch this film?
Chief Editor at Filmelier
Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost, in filmmaker Aaron Schimberg's darkly funny New York noir.
"A Different Man is a brilliant comedy whose title suggests several meanings. The story begins with Edward (Sebastian Stan, The Worst Person in the World), a beautiful playwright, but when a miraculous cure reverses his deformities, he decides to fake his death and start fresh under the identity of "Guy." Things take an ironic turn when Ingrid writes a play inspired by Edward, and Oswald (Adam Pearson) appears, a man who, despite also suffering from neurofibromatosis, is charismatic and leads a full life. The title A Different Man could suggest that naïve, idealized Hollywood empathy for people with physical differences. However, the script and direction by Aaron Schimberg steer the attention in the opposite direction, focusing on our constant aspiration to be something different from what we are, unable to be comfortable in our own skin and, as Lady Gaga (supposedly) says, to accept what is."