A Different Man (A Memorandum-style Review)

Edward, an aspiring actor, had a facial deformity due to a medical condition.
To put it bluntly, his appearance was grotesque.
Even so, Edward worked hard to make it as an actor, but his face kept getting in the way of his success.
Because he was stared at with curiosity in public, Edward became introverted and avoided people.

One day, a playwright named Ingrid moved in next door.
Ingrid didn't care about Edward's appearance and treated him kindly.
Edward immediately developed feelings for Ingrid.
However, due to his complex about his looks, he couldn't bring himself to confess his feelings to her.
But then, a doctor recommended that Edward participate in a clinical trial for a groundbreaking new drug to treat his facial deformity.
After obtaining a normal face, Edward changed his name to Guy and became a completely different person.
Full of confidence, Edward passed the audition for a play written by Ingrid and began dating her.
The play featured a protagonist with a deformed face, much like Edward's former self, and it seemed that Ingrid had based the character on Edward.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then Oswald, a man with a facial deformity similar to Edward's former self, appeared.
Unlike Edward, who had a complex about his appearance, Oswald was social and didn't care at all about how he looked.
Moreover, he was multi-talented, even playing instruments, and was skilled at winning people over.
Edward had complicated feelings about Oswald, but he ended up losing the role in the play he had won as Guy to Oswald.

Although it is sometimes introduced as a thriller, it is a work with strong elements of a life lesson.
The lead is Sebastian Stan, but in a sense, Adam Pearson, who actually has a facial disability, could also be considered a lead.
The contrast between the performance in the first half, where he is burdened by his complex, and the performance in the second half, where he thrives regardless of his appearance, is excellent.

You can pretty much guess the ending halfway through the movie.
However, for an A24 production, which often features films driven purely by momentum, the structure was well-organized, and I personally found it easy to watch.

99. A Different Man

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