Aaron Schimberg’s fantastical darkish comedy A Completely different Man is one among 2024’s richest, strangest motion pictures — a movie a couple of man who radically modifications his look and his life, however is haunted by the success of somebody who appears to be like similar to he used to. It’s an ideal viewing companion for The Substance, one other woozy, disturbing 2024 film about a ravishing changeling battling a former model of herself. However Schimberg’s tackle the story is funnier and extra right down to earth, constructed round plausible performances and a scenario steeped in actuality as a lot as fantasy.
Sebastian Stan (the MCU’s Winter Soldier; Donald Trump within the 2024 film The Apprentice) stars as Edward, an actor with important facial tumors who lives in isolation till he begins to get to know his new neighbor Ingrid (The Worst Individual within the World star Renate Reinsve). A radical new neurofibromatosis remedy provides him a brand new face, so he takes on a brand new id and finds success in each side of his life besides his relationship with Ingrid — particularly when a wildly fashionable, cheerfully charismatic man named Oswald (Below the Pores and skin’s Adam Pearson), who appears to be like precisely like Edward used to, enters their lives.
Like so many doppelgänger motion pictures (Twin, Enemy, The Double, and Cam instantly leap to thoughts), A Completely different Man finds horror within the concept of somebody confronting a extra profitable model of himself who represents roads not traveled and decisions not made. Not like most of these motion pictures, although, A Completely different Man is sharply humorous, when it isn’t tragic or terrifying. Polygon sat down with Stan and with earlier filmmaking companions Pearson and Schimberg (who labored collectively on 2019’s dramedy Chained for Life) at 2024’s Unbelievable Fest movie pageant to debate how they discovered the precise tone for the film.
[Ed. note: This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
Polygon: A lot of this film is about seething and repressing an enormous frustration round how the world works, and the way individuals work. All of it builds as much as a reasonably sudden cathartic level on the finish. Sebastian, how did you strategy taking part in that breakdown?
Sebastian Stan: Properly, we try this on a regular basis. We all the time repress issues, on a regular basis — so [in a role like this], you simply maintain doing it extra extensively.
However I feel — there are such a lot of stuff you learn that attempt to clarify issues [in movies]. They’re all the time overwritten. This occurs often on extra of a bigger-budget movie, the place the fear is all the time that the viewers isn’t going to grasp what’s occurring, so you want to be sure they get it. I’m simply so grateful we didn’t need to take care of that form of considering and strategy on this. As a result of reasonably than [explaining the ending] — I feel it’s interpretation. Individuals will relate to that second or discover issues about it otherwise. You don’t need to touch upon that, to inform individuals how you can really feel about it.
I’ll say that it’s fascinating — Edward and Oswald and Ingrid, all of them kind of weirdly want one another, they usually all are kind of these planets spinning round one another in a crucial method, whether or not there are all these different emotions there. It’s a mixture of feelings. It’s not only one factor that’s driving him on the finish of the film, it’s a slew of issues. There’s most likely an interior battle between being in awe of those individuals, whereas on the identical time being extremely hateful and indignant at these individuals.
Picture: A24/Everett Assortment
After the Unbelievable Fest screening, you talked about in a Q&A that you just labored with Adam to find how Edward would have skilled life, given his situation. You mentioned Adam was very beneficiant along with his life expertise. What did you study from him that was vital in taking part in Edward?
Stan: Properly, one of many issues that my activity was — and Aaron introduced this up within the rehearsal — was to determine [Edward’s] backstory. Who was Edward? How did he get this condominium, how did he determine to be an actor? What occurred to his mom? There have been these items that aren’t within the script.
So I used to be doing analysis and making a backstory, and issues on-line, and talking with individuals who, as an example, had handled weight points and had misplaced weight drastically, and had an id disaster in consequence. After which simply absorbing no matter I might that was on-line from anybody that was coping with neurofibromatosis or some other illnesses or disfigurements.
Quite a lot of these individuals have been orphans. They have been speaking about being deserted by their households. So there have been issues there. However with Adam, I really had somebody subsequent to me who I might ask questions, about how he grew up, or what he had skilled merely simply even on a playground.
[To Adam] I feel my greatest lesson was: You had a really sturdy help system in your loved ones and in your mother, who from my understanding all the time mentioned, “Look, you’re going to stroll on this room together with your head held excessive, it doesn’t matter what occurs.” And lots of people didn’t have that.
However on the identical time, it didn’t essentially imply he didn’t encounter the identical slew of stereotypical responses from everyone round him. For me personally, [the important lesson] was maybe understanding this possession that Adam has over himself, in additional methods, I feel than I’ve about myself, or different individuals I do know on the earth have. Perhaps additionally extra so than Edward has.
Adam, what was your aspect of that? What was vital to you to see mirrored in Edward or to see on this movie?
Adam Pearson: To start with, on the subject of the conversations that me and Sebastian had, until somebody was going to be actually and really trustworthy, there was no level in having them. It may be very easy to dilute it down and skip over the extra visceral moments. So that might’ve been an extremely counterproductive endeavor.
And for me, numerous it was nearly belief. [To Stan] I can solely provide you with a lot data or equip you thus far, and I have to take my arms off the vary and belief that you realize what you’re doing at your finish of issues. And fortunately, I obtained there actually rapidly.
I feel Sebastian has this heat and integrity that’s past his years, past what you see in different actors. After which there’s the actually nice writing and understanding the topic space that Aaron has. I had no qualms or fears that this might go the opposite method, and change into stereotypical or problematic. So yeah, you are available in, you belief the fabric, you belief the individuals you’re working with, and also you come to every little thing with honesty, integrity, a transparent head, and a full coronary heart. After which you may’t go fallacious.
Aaron, the tone of this film is so difficult. There are such a lot of issues occurring with the drama and the comedy. How did all three of you’re employed to get to the tone you wished?
Aaron Schimberg: I agonize over the tone earlier than I ever begin writing. I don’t agonize over how I’m going to do it. I agonize over what it’s going to seem like, and I agonize a lot that I don’t write. I procrastinate. After which ultimately, once I can’t take it any longer, I’ll write a scene. And as quickly as I begin writing the scene, the tone lays itself out for me.
I discovered this to be the reality, the best way it’s: Every thing I’ve written, it appears to return naturally. I feel on one hand, I feel each movie I make, or challenge I undertake, I take one thing that’s painful to me that I need to discover, and put below the microscope. It’s coming from a spot of trauma or no matter, to not overuse that phrase.
After which I even have a distance from it, and a comic book aspect, with it. I need to make it mild, I don’t need to make it darkish. And these two issues collectively create this tone, to not overanalyze it. After which I feel the tone is kind of set within the script, however then once I carry everybody collectively, generally it suggestions slightly extra into monitoring and generally it suggestions slightly extra into comedy. And I’ve kind of designed it that method. And my solely job is admittedly to make it possible for there are guardrails up in order that it doesn’t tip into one course, or in order that it doesn’t change into too heavy. And we make it possible for we carry it again — we put a comic book second into one thing darkish. However I additionally simply have at hand it to my collaborators, who’re in a position to interpret this tone.
I knew what Adam was able to. I wrote the position for him. And I knew the primary time speaking to Sebastian that he understood this tone. In order that simply set my thoughts comfy. Sebastian’s efficiency is each tragic and comedian. [I had] a common concern about it, as a result of with out this tonal steadiness, the entire thing pulls aside. However I don’t know that I’m a lot controlling it, a lot as I’m defending in opposition to it falling aside.
That sounds lots like what Adam mentioned about coping with impostor syndrome on the Q&A final night time, about the one individuals who by no means get impostor syndrome are the impostors.
Pearson: Yeah. It’s simply such a bizarre factor — I’ve been desirous about it lots, as a result of I come to every little thing with a sure diploma of self-doubt and nervousness. And for years, it bothered me, like, You need to be over this sense by now. However then one among my buddies pulled me apart and went, “If that feeling ever leaves you, you aren’t in the precise place. As a result of it means you don’t care.”
A Completely different Man is now out there for digital rental or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, and different platforms.
