A Different Man

AroView: A bold and unforgettable drama about a disfigured aspiring actor who undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance.

Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) gives a superb performance, but 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.

“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

“Some people will always want what they do not have, but it is hard to imagine anyone feeling short-changed by such a tonally rich, thematically ambitious film.” ~Tim Grierson, Screen Daily