A Different Man

A Different Man is a modern-day allegory that reminds us to be careful about what we wish for. Having one’s dreams come true does not guarantee happiness. In fact, as it sometimes turns out, wish fulfillment could be the worst possible thing that could happen to a person – especially if the changes are only skin-deep and one’s inner self remains the same as it was before.

Such is the fate that befalls Edward Lemuel (Stan), a man whose face is considerably disfigured by multitudes of tumors caused by a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis. The film’s opening scenes offer a glimpse of the realities of Edward’s life. He is stared at wherever he goes; at worst, he’s the object of mockery and, at best, he’s shunned. Edward’s lonely existence is accentuated by his shabby apartment that has holes in the ceiling large enough for dank, brown water and dead rats to fall through. In his most recent job, he plays the subject in an HR training video that aims to teach workers how to interact with differently abled associates.

When Ingrid (Reinsve) a new neighbor in his apartment building, knocks on his door, she initially recoils from the sight but returns later to offer friendship, having thought better of her first reaction. Ingrid reveals that she’s an aspiring playwright and becomes the only person with whom we witness Edward sharing any time. Of course he develops a crush. At a routine doctor’s appointment, Edward’s physician tells him of an experimental drug that might possibly cure his disease and dissolve his tumors. Wham, bam, and ugly Edward becomes handsome Sebastian Stan.

After some disturbing scenes of face-tumor melting, Edward leaves his old life behind and morphs into Guy – the new name he adopts for himself. He’s now financially successful in a new apartment and career, and he callously beds pretty women. But he’s still unhappy until one day he notices Ingrid on the street and follows her to a little theatre where she is conducting auditions for her play called Edward. Realizing that she’s telling his story, he knows he’s the man for the role but, ironically, is now too handsome to play the part. At home, however, he still harbors the old mask the doctors made of his former face and, using that, he wins the part and the girl. But all doesn’t end well: He’s no great shakes as an actor and he’s still blighted on the inside.

Writer/director Aaron Schimberg maintains a light touch with this story that could have easily become a sad morality tale. Often he strikes a comic note, but for the most part the film adopts an ironic stance. Stan will certainly get a bump from this performance, which affords him the opportunity to show his range instead of being restrained by the limits of playing a biographical character (as in recent work Pam & Tommy and The Apprentice) or a comic book character (he’ll make his seventh feature film appearance as MCU’s Bucky Barnes in 2025’s Thunderbolts). Reinsve proves a good foil, demonstrating much of the same seductive insensitivity that made her performance in The Worst Person in the World so mesmerizing. (This Austin viewer got a special flash of pleasure seeing the name John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter and formerly the Austin American-Statesman quoted in a review of Ingrid’s play.) A Different Man hits some narrative bumps as Edward moves abruptly into different stages of his life, but Edward’s passage through them is always is always intriguing.

This film was reviewed at Fantastic Fest 2024.