As ‘The Apprentice’ hits theaters, critics say Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong’s performances Trump’s Other Issues

On October 12, 2024By Yukito

Work on Ali Abbasi has started Student back in 2018, when Donald Trump was president, but it’s only now that it’s hitting home Film calendar for 2024just weeks before Trump finds out whether he or Kamala Harris will move into the White House in January. Movie Sebastian Stan plays Trump in the 1970s and 1980s, examining his career as a businessman and his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong. The the movie is not politicalactors say, but is it good? Critics are here to share their thoughts.

Political or not, Student he’s already ruffling his feathers. Donald Trump himself has threatened legal action over his release and one apparently a large investor is furious over how the former president was portrayed in the final version of the film. Meanwhile, critical reactions were mostly positive, including: Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times. calling it Sebastian Stan’s best performance to date, while Jeremy Strong portrays Roy Cohn as Dr. Frankenstein realizing he’s created a monster. Walsh continues:

Stan and Strong’s astonishing performances deepen and develop throughout the film. Initially, Stan conveys only a small taste of Trump’s familiar style; as Trump ages, his speeches become clearer, and his accent and cadence are informed by both (Fred Trump) and Roy. Strong is transformed as Cohn: He’s slack-jawed and dead-eyed, but he’s constantly in motion, pushing his lithe, tanned body forward with incredible intensity in business and pleasure. His terror at the end of the film is surprising only because we realize that Roy may actually have a conscience, and his shark-like appetite for power is only eclipsed by that of his apprentice.

In fact, many critics see similarities between the account in Student AND Frankenstienincluding EW’s Maureen Lee Lenkerwhich gives it a grade of B+. The film doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know about these men, but it’s still “riveting” to watch. Sebastian Stan brings nuance to his performance that avoids dipping into late-night parody territory, while Jeremy Strong elicits a strong F-bomb from a critic who writes:

While Stan’s transformation is remarkable, the film’s MVP is as strong as Roy Cohn. Strong, who won an Emmy for playing oldest boy Kendall Roy on “Succession,” has a gift for humanizing the most corrupt and nefarious among us. Without a doubt, Roy Cohn was one of the most repulsive historical figures of the 20th century, and yet Strong somehow makes us empathize with the man (and truly, Mr. Strong, I say this with deep affection: F— you for this). Strong is able to reach beyond the moral rot and depravity of man to find every fragile piece of soul his characters may possess.

Stephanie Zacharek from Czas echoes this sentiment, stating that Jeremy Strong’s ability to make Roy Cohn believably sympathetic is the film’s “most chilling effect.” Ali Abbasi’s detached approach makes it almost too real, says the critic, writing:

Abbasi portrays this student-teacher relationship with almost dispassionate detachment. We already know how well these principles have already served one particular person; there is no need for Abbasi to spell them in bold, so he doesn’t. His restraint is admirable, even if it makes his film feel a bit limp, at least for the first two-thirds. Still, his actors carry the weight of the film: Stan believably portrays the transition from the strenuous Trump of the 1970s to the arrogant Trump of the 1980s, a guy who has reached what he considers the pinnacle and who has no thought of betraying those who helped him to get there, including his first wife Ivana.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls Student sharp and scathing, claiming to fully stick to the first half and avoid cheap shots in its look at Donald Trump’s early days. However, the film never fully explores the mystery of who he becomes. Sebastian Stan is a “miracle” according to Gleiberman, who says:

Ali Abbasi stages “The Apprentice” with a lot of jagged handheld shots that look a little too much like TV in my eyes, but they get the job done; they convince us of the reality we see. Like the decor, as Trump develops a taste for more lavish surroundings, the film recreates every inch of baroque vulgarity in merde-gold. And Sebastian Stan’s performance is a marvel. He understands the clumsy body language of the Trump maniac, the imposing gait with his arms held stiffly at his sides, and he understands facial language to an equal degree. He begins with an open, boyish expression, Donald’s obsession visible beneath the mop of hair, but as the film goes on, that expression becomes more and more calculating in infinitesimal degrees.

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com has the same problem, and while the critic admits that watching Donald Trump’s seeds that we know are planted and fertilized makes for an interesting watch, the second half focuses on shots and parody. Tallerico rates it 2 out of 4 stars and writes:

The first half has an intriguing concept and is told reasonably well, but the second half falls apart due to a distinct lack of POV or too much to say about it. Writer Gabriel Sherman gets lost in the thicket of what we know about Trump, throwing in references and personality quirks like a Marvel writer uses Easter eggs, making the entire exercise feel as empty as a late-night comedy sketch. All the while, the performers keep their heads above water, but The Apprentice feels like it ultimately comes down to: “There’s no explanation for this guy other than greed and capitalism.” This seems shallow and easy.

The film received critical acclaim from most critics, earning a Certified Fresh rating of 79%. Rotten Tomatoes — and it looks like that’s largely due to Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Student is in theaters now if this biographical drama sounds like something you’d like to watch.