X
In Theaters Now
- 2024
- R
- Arna Media
- 2 h
- 2024
- R
- Arna Media
- 2 h
Summary The Apprentice charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
Directed By: Ali Abbasi
Written By: Gabriel Sherman
In Theaters Now
- 2024
- R
- Arna Media
- 2 h
- 2024
- R
- Arna Media
- 2 h
The Apprentice
64
6.5
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Summary The Apprentice charts a young Donald Trump’s ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn.
Directed By: Ali Abbasi
Written By: Gabriel Sherman
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 54 Critic Reviews
64
67% Positive
36 Reviews
36 Reviews
30% Mixed
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
4% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 54 Critic Reviews
64
67% Positive
36 Reviews
36 Reviews
30% Mixed
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
4% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Most impressive of all are the performances by Sebastian Stan as the raw and ambitious younger Trump, and Jeremy Strong (the “eldest boy” from “Succession”) as the unconscionable Cohn. This is “The Art of the Deal” told as a Frankenstein dark fable.
Its politics will please no one, but for fans of story and characters, the movie succeeds in its primary goal: telling a good story about humanity, warts, and all.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 57 User Ratings
6.5
70% Positive
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
12% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
18% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 57 User Ratings
6.5
70% Positive
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
12% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
18% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
In so many places I had to laugh. Not because of the performance but at the absurd reality that this man managed to get himself elected to the most position on the planet. Totally enjoyed this and Sebastian Stan absolutely nailed Donald Trump. Jeremy (Succession) Strong was his usual superb se
Report
If Abbasi’s film doesn’t say anything particularly novel about either, it still manages to damn the Don as he would his adversaries: with no restraint or remorse.
If it isn’t a great movie, it’s at least a fascinating and thoughtful one, an even-handed film that doesn’t need to resort to extremes to paint an accurate picture of what America and the world are up against right now, in terms of one particular past and possibly future president.
It has the era’s soundtrack down, from Studio 54 disco to Suicide’s “Ghost Rider.” But it doesn’t have much of a point.
For its first half, “The Apprentice” is kind of a knockout: the inside look at how Trump evolved that so many of us have imagined for so long, and seeing it play out is both convincing and riveting. Yet I have an issue with the movie, and it all pivots around the mystery of Trump. I don’t think “The Apprentice” ever penetrates it.
By halfway, Trump gets more flagrantly cruel, delusional, thin- skinned and aggressive. It’s the kind of charismatic antihero’s journey that might fly in a Scorsese film – arguably the ultimate Trump film is The Wolf of Wall Street – but Abassi and Sherman’s take on the material is largely dutiful.
'The Apprentice' is more than Donald Trump, it's a reminder of all the **** that lies beneath an entire system.
While this biopic shows how the controversial character became who he is today, Director Ali Abbasi and screenwriter Gabriel Sherman extrapolate everything he represents to parallel the imperialist voracity of a nation absorbed in itself.
Sebastian Stan achieves something interesting: imitating and at the same time getting noticed with his talent; the mannerisms, tones, and expressions of the now presidential candidate are there, but the actor is smart enough not to let himself be dominated by prosthetics, as he never falls into caricature or parody. Stan portrays him with a certain sympathy and innocence at the beginning, which he eventually transforms into immeasurable cruelty.
Jeremy Strong is also sensational as his mentor, Roy Cohn, whom he plays in a sinister and almost vampiric way. His despicable character takes on interesting nuances when, towards the end, the roles change and we can see all the vulnerability of a wounded, disappointed, and dying man.
Abbasi presents the film in an aspect ratio and with a grain that evokes the 70s and 80s, giving it a certain documentary feeling; the camera movements also contribute to this. And, of course, Scorsese's influence is palpable throughout the narrative, which could very well be legal/political version of 'Goodfellas' but without falling into the derivative.
It's true that the story cannot avoid walking through some common territories, such as inserting Wikipedia-style moments with situations or specific phrases that allude to the current situation of Trump, and that the character of Ivana (Maria Bakalova) does not have as much development; but there's no denying that what Abbasi has done here is to inject his style to the prototype of the biopic to build a terrifying story about betrayal, foul play and how it is possible to build a truth through lies.
Report
Lançado em um ano eleitoral onde podemos ter a volta do trumpismo nos EUA, Ali Abassi é um iraniano filmando a vida de um jovem Trump, o que por si só é uma afronta a essa direita conservadora e ultrajante que tem garras inclusive no Brasil. Mostrando o seu lado humano, hipócrita e condescendente com certos crimes e movimentos morais, contanto que o afete positivamente, o diretor está interessado em justificar a ideologia do Estado mínimo sob a perspectiva de grandes empresários, seu desprezo por pessoas, sua cosmovisão. Ainda que pareça artificial e maniqueísta algumas vezes, não deixa de ser um retrato interessante e que vai casar muito bem com a geração que idolatra o neoliberalismo. Ótimo retrato.
Report
Production Company
Gidden Media,
Rocket Science,
Head Gear Films,
LB Entertainment,
Metrol Technology,
Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland,
Scythia Films,
Profile Pictures,
Tailored Films,
Film Institute,
DR Danish Broadcasting,
AC Films,
Det Danske Filminstitut,
Rich Spirit,
Wild7Films
Release Date Oct 11, 2024
Duration 2 h
Rating R
Tagline An American horror story.
Awards
Cannes Film Festival
• 1 Nomination