Ali Abbasi‘s The Apprentice opens with a disclosure, stating that this excerpt from Donald Trump’s early life is partially fictionalized in the name of dramatization. Making a movie about one of the world’s most notorious business mogul-turned-politicians was never going to be easy. From his controversial run as the 45th President of the United States to his role in the January 6th insurrection to his multiple ongoing indictments, the entire world knows of Donald Trump. The disclosure that opens The Apprentice is more than likely a matter of legality, as Trump himself has been trying to prevent the film from being released in the U.S. with a defamation case. However, this “partially fictionalized” tag has an unfortunate reverse effect, setting the viewer’s expectations for a picture that is going to be far more fearless and provocative than The Apprentice actually turns out to be.
In the early 1970s, New York City native Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) desperately wants to step out from his father Fred Trump’s (Martin Donovan) shadow while working under him at his real estate business. It’s only a matter of time before Donald is set to take over the family empire — which manages racially segregated middle-class housing in the outer boroughs of the city — as company president. Being in his mid-twenties with high ambitions and a reasonably approachable demeanor, Donald introduces himself to infamous lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) at a members-only club one evening. His persistence entices Cohn to represent Trump Management in a lawsuit. One case quickly turns into a mentorship, and the pair become practically inseparable. Soon enough, Trump begins living by Cohn’s motto, “Admit nothing, deny everything.”
In the midst of his business ventures, Donald Trump courts Czech model Ivana Marie Zelníčková (Maria Bakalova), going as far as following her across the country to Aspen, Colorado in pursuit of a dinner date. As he begins spending time around America’s elite socialites, from artist Andy Warhol to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, his demeanor begins to change. It’s not long before Donald begins morphing into a younger and more domineering version of his teacher, down to the orange-tinged skin and speaking in hyperboles through pursed lips. Thus, the student becomes the master, and a monster is born.
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Political journalist and author Gabriel Sherman makes his feature debut screenplay with The Apprentice. Sherman is best known for writing the acclaimed biography about Fox News founder and longtime chairman/CEO Roger Ailes, titled The Loudest Voice in the Room, and for covering the 2016 and upcoming American election for the likes of New York Magazine and Vanity Fair. The script is crafted to show audiences a more empathetic side of a man who is known to many as an irredeemable tyrant. While Sherman does a commendable job of exploring Donald Trump’s “origin story” per se, it really has nothing new to say about its subject matter. Initially, The Apprentice presents Trump with a level of charm and soft-spokenness that humanizes him slightly before shifting into a more unflattering portrayal, with scenes of scalp reductions, abusing amphetamines to lose weight, and marital rape embedded throughout the narrative.
It’s no secret that Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi (Border, Holy Spider) was under a strict post-production timeline in order to complete The Apprentice in time for its Cannes 2024 premiere. This is apparent across a few separate moments throughout the movie, noticeably in its sound mixing, where the dialogue is often barely discernible. There’s enough time to tweak this, though, given whenever The Apprentice finally hits U.S. theaters. As the story traverses from the 1970s to the 1980s, the visuals on display evolve just as the film’s anti-protagonist does. Cinematographer Kasper Tuxen (The Worst Person in the World, Riders of Justice) sets out with the grainy warmth of celluloid synonymous with the ’70s before turning to the grey static of the camcorders that pioneered the digital age in the ’80s.
What truly elevates The Apprentice from being an otherwise average film, though, is the casting. Had the performances felt too artificial, that would have been the center of attention. From playing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to playing a cannibal in Fresh to portraying Tonya Harding’s scheming ex-husband Jeff Gilooley opposite Margot Robbie in I, Tonya, Sebastian Stan continues to prove himself as a shapeshifter in The Apprentice. To portray a man so ingrained in the social zeitgeist is no easy task. Yet, Stan does an impressive job of avoiding an unrestrained caricature-like performance that has become associated with endless Donald Trump impressions.
Courtesy of Tailored Films
Initially, it is difficult to identify Sebastian Stan’s young Donald Trump in The Apprentice as the man people know today. However, as the plot progresses and Stan slowly morphs into a slimy villain that’s more recognizable to the present-day Trump, it becomes evident that this was done with clear intent. Meanwhile, Jeremy Strong (Succession, The Trial of the Chicago 7) leaves a strong impression as the stoic Roy Cohn, whose hard exterior begins to break down toward the end of his life. Lastly, Maria Bakalova (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) could have been given more to do in her role as Ivana Trump, Donald’s first wife and the eventual matriarch of The Trump Organization. Regardless of her lesser role, the Oscar-nominated actress still evokes great empathy for this woman caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s cruelty.
Director Ali Abbasi, who’s also best known for helming the last two episodes of HBO’s The Last of Us, has stated to the public that “It’s time to make movies political again.” Ironically, The Apprentice would be far more interesting and justified as a biopic if Abbasi adhered to his own sentiments. Making this kind of film while its problematic subject is still alive is a radical choice in and of itself, but also premiering it in the same year when Donald Trump is running for re-election is quite baffling. It feels irresponsible to bring Trump further into the collective consciousness than he already is, where Trump’s efforts to stop The Apprentice from being released are already making headlines. As the old saying goes, any publicity is good publicity, and it hasn’t come close to stopping this man before.
In the process of making a biopic that has little to say about Donald Trump’s toxic effect on the political landscape, director Ali Abbasi and screenwriter Gabriel Sherman ironically play a complacent role in further popularizing Trump’s own grip on modern culture. What the audience is left with is a serviceable cautionary tale that doesn’t reach the heights of other, more daring biopics. In truth, Sebastian Stan and the rest of the ensemble’s engrossing performances are the only reasons worth watching The Apprentice.
The Apprentice premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and will hit theaters on October 11!
Release Date: October 11, 2024.
Directed by Ali Abbasi.
Written by Gabriel Sherman.
Produced by Daniel Bekerman, Jacob Jarek, Julianne Forde, Ruth Treacy, & Louis Tisné.
Main Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Ben Sullivan, Charlie Carrick, Mark Rendall, & Joe Pingue.
Cinematographer: Kasper Tuxen.
Production Companies: Scythia Films, Profile Pictures, Tailored Films, Kinematics, Head Gear Films, & Metrol Technology.
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment (United States), Mongrel Media (Canada), & StudioCanal (UK/Ireland).
Runtime: 120 minutes.
