A Different Man

Edward, an actor whose face is different because of neurofibromatosis, changes it through experimental surgery and starts a new life as Guy Moratz. Then his former neighbour Ingrid stages a play drawn from his life. Edward auditions wearing a prosthetic of his own old face. It comes apart when Oswald, charismatic and living with the same condition, joins the production. As his place in his own story is taken from him, Edward starts to collapse. Aaron Schimberg wrote and directed. Sebastian Stan plays Edward. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 93 percent. Stan won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at Berlin and the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The film was nominated for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar. The box office stayed tiny: 1.5 million dollars domestically. The National Board of Review named it among the top ten independent films of 2024 and it placed 21st on Sight and Sound's 2024 list. Who it is for: viewers who like black comedy mixed with psychological thriller. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a comfortable watch. The film keeps making you uneasy about your own looking, and it means to.