The first trailer has arrived for A Different Man, a new movie from A24 that's part dark comedy and part psychological thriller.
Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, Sebastian Stan stars as Edward, an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis (a condition where tumors grow in the nervous system), who undergoes a medical procedure to give him a new face. "This drug seems to have the potential to actually heal you," a doctor tells Edward as he lies under a medical scanner. "The implications are life-changing."
Midway through the trailer, Stan's neurofibromatosis prosthetics are gone, and Edward's new life can begin. However, when Oswald, another actor (played by Under the Skin's Adam Pearson), is cast to play Edward in a play, he becomes increasingly obsessed with him – and the role of a lifetime that should have been his. The cast also includes The Worst Person in the World star Renate Reinsve as Ingrid, Edward's neighbor.
A Different Man premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the top prize at Berlin International Film Festival, where Stan took home the award for Best Leading Performance.
The movie was mostly well-received by critics on the festival circuit: it currently has a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews calling it "a stunning, distinctly New York comedy-drama" and "a fascinating exploration of humanity." However, others criticized the film's "uneven pacing" and claimed it "fumbles for meaning."
A Different Man arrives in US theaters on September 20. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other best upcoming movies on the way in 2024.
