A Different Man | Film Review

Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to change his appearance. But his dream quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with getting back what he lost.

I had seen the trailer of this film ages before I watched it, but I didn’t really know what it was about or understand the concept. But I was really intrigued to watch it, especially as a fan of Sebastian Stan.

I loved this film. It’s such an original premise told in a great way.

The story is really fascinating. Edward is such an interesting character both before and after his change, and it was great that we got to know him well at both of these different points.

The performances are outstanding. The supporting actors do an amazing job of holding the story up, but Stan completely carried the film and did an incredible job with his role. I'm so glad he won the Golden Globe, and can definitely see more awards in his future.

The film explores a lot of complex ideas and themes in a really powerful way. We can see and understand this story from every angle.

It may be recency bias but the film reminds me a lot of The Substance. The themes are different of course, but the effects of changing yourself to become more accepted in society are prevalent in both, and both have unexpected results.

Seeing the contrast between the attitudes of Edward and Oswald (played by Adam Pearson) is the most powerful thing about the film. It brings up themes of self-esteem, confidence and acceptance, and really makes the audience think about these things and how they may relate to their own lives.

It was also a lot more emotionally impactful than I expected. Looking at the story as a whole, it’s actually quite heart-breaking.

Overall this is a really interesting and powerful movie that I’d definitely recommend.

8/10