THE APPRENTICE: Review
There was a point in the middle of The Apprentice where I completely lost sight of Sebastian Stan. He wasn’t Sebastian anymore—he had fully transformed into Donald J. Trump.
One moment he’s a failing businessman, the next he’s a failing businessman with a little bit of money. Of course, Trump made his real fortune in real estate, later expanding to casinos and hotels that bore his now-infamous surname. His family was split between a mediocre airline pilot earning six figures and a ruthless businessman who would barge into tenants’ apartments when the rent was due. It wasn’t long before Roy Cohn, McCarthy’s infamous right-hand man (played with an absolutely stunning performance by Succession’s Jeremy Strong—who deserves at least a Best Supporting nomination), stepped in to help Trump gain respect. Cohn’s character acts as a pivotal figure in Trump’s rise to fame and fortune, teaching him how to manipulate the system and always come out on top, in exchange for loyalty. But, as we know, the apprentice eventually outgrew his master.
This film approaches Trump neither positively nor negatively, but rather with a surprisingly humanistic lens. Sebastian Stan is somehow the perfect actor for the role, flawlessly capturing Trump’s recognizable demeanor and mannerisms. Abbasi and his team give Trump layers of trauma, ego, and a profound fear of failure. One scene that encapsulates this is a late night at home after his brother’s death. Ivana tries to comfort him, but he responds with a cold look of hatred and disgust, consumed by his grief. Though tears he insists repeatedly that he’s “fine.” Trump’s heart, it seems, had been patched together with armor to conceal the pain in his past simmering just beneath the surface. While the film delves into Trump’s extravagant lifestyle and erratic thinking, it also exposes the deeply hidden parts of his life—those he rarely, if ever, speaks about.
The editing and cinematography are hit or miss for me, but the score exceeds expectations with Succession-esque beats and chimes that elevate the film. I can’t say I love this movie, and I understand the divided reviews here. Set aside any conspiracy theories, though; this film gets a lot right.
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