“The Elephant Man,” “Mask,” and “Wonder have all prominently portrayed characters with extensive facial deformities caused by some genetic anomaly. These movies involved actors donning make-up and prosthetics to effectively represent these characters and their dealings with a cruel and abusive modern society, as well as their resulting perseverance and bravery in confronting such obstacles and attempting to lead an everyday life.
“A Different Man,” not surprisingly, is different. For one, they use a real actor, Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition in which large, typically non-cancerous tumors develop on the skin. Additionally, from what’s been gathered, this movie is less an inspirational story of overcoming prejudice and personal setbacks and more a film that’s been loosely described as a film noir, with tags on IMBD describing it as comedy, horror, and thriller.
Curious, right? The movie stars Sebastian Stan, the aforementioned Pearson, Renate Reinsve, C. Mason Wells, Owen Kline, Charlie Korsmo, Patrick Wang, and Michael Shannon as himself. It’s written and directed by Aaron Schimberg (“Chained for Life”). Sebastian Stan and Aaron Schimberg serve as executive producers.
It’s been gaining momentum in the past year, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and then earning Stan top acting honors at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.
“A Different Man” follows Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes a life-altering surgery to become a new man. However, he becomes infatuated with a neighbor’s new play based on his life and the actor who portrays him.
Synopsis:
Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
A24 will release “A Different Man” in select theaters on September 20.