Scythia Films

The Apprentice (2024): Sebastian Stan Shines as Controversial Businessman Donald Trump

Posted on by Jack Drees

“The Apprentice” is directed by Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider, The Last of Us) and stars Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger, The 355), Jeremy Strong (The Big Short, The Gentlemen), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), and Martin Donovan (Insomnia, Tenet). This film follows a young Donald Trump in the 1970s and 80s and examines his career as a businessman.

I will be honest, I was extremely hesitant to watch and review this film. Part of it is because I do not typically want to dive into politics on Scene Before. Well, maybe except for this month with my Election Days reviews. By the way, go check out my thoughts on “The Campaign,” “W.“, and “On the Basis of Sex” if you want to see me talk about some slightly older films. I mean, they are not that old, they are from the 21st century. That said, I will remind everyone that it is November 2024, therefore it is the culmination of an election year in the United States. Marketing-wise, it would make sense to release a film of this nature around the latter half of the year. But as a viewer, I was also weary of checking it out because regardless of my political views, election season is already anxiety-inducing on its own. But of course, I thought this would be a good film to talk about given the time of year, really the time in society in general. For the record, I am going to do as best as I can to stray away from my personal views on Donald Trump as a politician.

That said, one thing I will note for people maybe looking to watch this movie, it is not about Trump’s political career. It instead contains itself to a time where he was more well known as a mogul, a New York personality. Also despite the title, this is not set in the 2000s or 2010s. I say this because, well, Trump hosted “The Apprentice” at the time. As slightly misleading as that title could come off, there is a reason why the movie has its namesake. For one thing, the film is about a younger Trump, and heavily explores the building blocks of his business, his love life, his family life. It sprinkles a lot into a two hour runtime but it is not a piece about Trump’s entire life. Since I was born in the late 1990s, I inevitably know Trump more as a politician as opposed to anything else. Having followed Trump through that realm in recent years, he has certain trademarks, words, and mannerisms that have become a part of his personality. Sometimes they are even used against him in a jokey manner. Sebastian Stan to my lack of surprise dives into some of these trademarks, and while the film is definitely somewhat grounded with its intimate camerawork, it also has a feel to it that is comparable to more comedic material in media.

To be real, Sebastian Stan is probably not going to win the Academy Award for his portrayal of Donald Trump, as much as some may be convinced “liberal Hollywood” will let him win out of spite of others. But I like his performance in “The Apprentice.” Like I said, some of Trump’s trademarks come up in the film, and I think Stan masters them without coming off as a cartoon. One thing I have noticed over the years about most of the Trump performances I have seen is that a lot of them come off as hyperbolic. But those performances traditionally tend to fall within a certain context. Maybe they’re on a variety show like “America’s Got Talent” or “Saturday Night Live.” They tend to work for what they are. But I was surprised to see Stan deliver on a much calmer interpretation of the well-known businessman. Regardless of how I feel about Trump as a person, seeing something like this is refreshing. Now having seen the performance in this movie, kind of like say Alec Baldwin’s portrayal in “Saturday Night Live,” I am sure that there is an audience that will look at this performance, perhaps even the screenplay behind it, and immediately find themselves turned off by it. To call this a pro-Trump film would be like calling “Deal or No Deal” a pro-banker game show. Am I surprised by this film’s leanings? Not really. But the fact is I found the film as a whole to be entertaining. It is well-paced, it is engaging, and I latched onto the characters.

What this film surprisingly reminds me of is the “Star Wars” movies. This could apply to a number of them, but perhaps the first that comes to mind is “Revenge of the Sith.” As I continued to watch the relationship between Trump and attorney Roy M. Cohn, their dynamic in this film showed similarities to that of Anakin Skywalker and Palpatine. In this case, Trump would be the Anakin and Cohn would be the Palpatine. After all, Cohn is a little older, a little wiser, and very much getting into Trump’s head throughout the film. The movie presents Cohn as a mentor figure to Trump, instilling him with all sorts of knowledge. Cohn even presents three rules to Trump: “always attack, never admit wrongdoing, and always claim victory.” This is a motto that the public has seen Trump live up to in recent years especially regarding his political career.

I also love the overall aesthetic of this film. It is practically a symbol of Trump as he builds himself. If this were set years down the road, maybe this movie would be presented as something that looks more professional, considering how he would have continued to establish and maintain his name. But this matches a story about a guy who is trying to live up to his family name while also assembling the building blocks behind a legacy of his own. Only he has not yet been able to make that happen. Trump may be one of the most prominent men in the world today, but like with anyone else, getting to that position takes time.

The film is sometimes shot and presented in such a claustrophobic manner. It puts in you the movie with its multitude of closeups, darker colors, grim lighting, and sometimes vlog-like style. The more I look at this movie, it reminds me of those home videos shot on older camcorders in say the 1990s or early 2000s if you gave the captured video a pinch of polish and a bigger budget.

In the end, “The Apprentice” fires on all cylinders. It is engaging, it is raw, surprisingly funny at times, and lets out the best from its solid cast. Sebastian Stan, to my surprise, was a decent pick for the lead role. “The Apprentice” is most definitely not for everyone. In fact, I not only say that thinking a certain group of people who like Trump will immediately be turned off by the film, but there is also some visual content that may be uncomfortable for some viewers regardless of your political leanings or thoughts on Trump himself. In hindsight, I can see why this movie did not make a ton of money. People often go to the movies to escape, and I do not know if “The Apprentice” would be one of those films that would allow people to do such a thing, especially at this time. But I also could see why certain people would find the film to be relevant. I cannot recommend this movie to everyone, and knowing the current landscape, it is hard to know how many minds in any direction will be changed once the film’s over. That said, I give the film a thumbs up. It has a compelling narrative, good direction, and fine acting. I am going to give “The Apprentice” a 7/10.

“The Apprentice” is now playing in select theaters and is available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review, my next review on the lineup is going to be for a film that is getting a lot of conversation right now, and that is “Anora.” I cannot wait to talk about this flick. Look forward to that review coming soon. Also on the lineup, I have reviews on the way for “Here,” “Gladiator II,” “Red One,” “A Real Pain,” and “Y2K.” Also, my final Election Days review is hitting the blog next week, and it is for the movie “Elvis & Nixon.” I just watched the film earlier this week and I cannot wait to talk about it. If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “The Apprentice?” What did you think about it? Or, in the spirit of Donald Trump… Tell me your honest thoughts on “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” Personally, while it has its moments, it is a bit lazy in its structure, very much copying the recent success of its predecessor. Also, how you do get lost in New York? If you know numbers, you’re good as gold! Either way, if you have thoughts on “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” let me know those thoughts down below. Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

My Old Ass (2024): A Short and Sweet Ride Through a Couple Walks of One’s Life

Posted on by Jack Drees

“My Old Ass” is written and directed by Megan Park (The Neighbors, The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and stars Maisy Stella (Nashville, Spirit Riding Free), Percy Hynes White (The Gifted, Wednesday), Maddie Ziegler (Music, The Fallout), Kerrice Brooks (The Prom, How We Roll) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Dirty Grandpa). This film is about a young girl who gets a chance to talk to her older self. Once the younger self receives advice from her older self, the story showcases the younger self’s journey as she takes or leaves said advice.

There are some ideas that make you go “Why didn’t I think of that?” As someone who is heavily into film, I find myself saying that sometimes about the movies I watch. The more I think about “My Old Ass,” that is a film that fits within that sphere. The only thing is, I am 24. But as someone who watched this movie at such an age, I think it probably would have been a good idea years down the road. Then again, as a 24 year old, I would still say some things to my younger self, telling them my regrets, the things to look forward to, maybe to invest in GameStop for a short time in 2021. By the way, read my review for “Dumb Money” if you want to see people do things in 2021 that I probably should have… Stupid brain.

But I love this idea of an older self and a younger self communicating with each other. And I have to say the way it was executed was very well done. First off, while these two are not dead ringers of each other, I buy Maisy Stella (right) and Aubrey Plaza (left) as the same person, specifically Elliott. They seem to carry a number of mannerisms that make them come off as the same individual, but differentiate enough to the point where they feel like they are not the same age. Aubrey Plaza’s character is giving Maisy Stella’s character advice, including one piece at which she seems to scoff at first, particularly hanging out with her brothers. I bought into the execution of the advice, I bought into the younger self’s reaction. I think the way the movie goes about its concept is hypnotizing and clever.

I also have to say that I came very close to having an enormous complaint about this movie. I thought the way this movie was handled in terms of its structure, in terms of its characterization, and the end results of certain character arcs, would amount to something rather predictable. As we got to the movie’s end, the movie takes a sudden turn that I could have never seen coming. It is arguably the most positive out of left field moment I experienced watching a film this year.

I kind of like the way this movie handles its relationship between the two main selves, and the way the story progresses between them. If you are a teenager reading this, if you look back at your current time in life with no problems or regrets, then you probably have lived a different life than the vast majority of the world’s population. I would say I was smart as a teenager, but I would also say that there are moments in my life where my older self would tell my teenage self to go in a different direction. In a perfect world, my teen self would listen to my older self because, well, that is me. I might as well be my own best teacher, or perhaps more appropriately, my own worst critic. But this movie shows the moments where the teen self has trouble listening to or acknowledging the advice of the older self, but it makes sense. After all, let’s face it, I think everyone can agree on this in regards to any point in our lives, but it is especially true in the teen years. We might not agree on every single piece of advice given to us. We might think we have everything down, but the reality is we might not know what exactly is down the road. Short term we might think something is good for us, but long term? Maybe it is not as good as we think, at least from a certain point of view. There is one particular relationship that plays out where we see this come to fruition.

This movie also shows how we hold our entire time on this earth near and dear to ourselves. While this movie shows how stupid or clueless we can be as teenagers, it also shows us that our choices make us who we are. It shows us that everything happens for a reason, and maybe if we make one stupid or clueless choice, maybe it is worth it because something better lies ahead or there is something else in life to look forward to. There is one quote in the movie, it is also in the trailer, specifically from young Elliott, that I love. Specifically, “If you weren’t young and dumb you wouldn’t be brave enough to do anything.” I adore this quote because not only is it true that many of us tend to become more calculated as we age, perhaps we play things safer. But it also implies that sometimes big risks can lead to big reward. What may seem like an unlikely or dumb decision could also turn out to be a life-changing moment. When we are young, we have our entire lives ahead of us. There is room for error. It never hurts to try something new, take a chance, open our minds. Granted, we should also use logic in our decision-making. But it does not mean we should not be open to risk every once in a while.

Will I watch “My Old Ass” a second time? If we are talking tomorrow or the next week, maybe not, unless someone requests to see it at the theater with me. That said, I probably would not go watch it alone as there are plenty of other movies I need to get around to watching. As far as replay value goes though, I think it would be fun to maybe check out “My Old Ass” again in 15, 20, maybe 25 years. Because I watched this film as someone who is closer to the younger self’s age, but I am curious to know, given the life experience I would have in the coming years, what commonalities I would have to the older self. I would watch “My Old Ass” again for that reason. Well that, and the fact that the movie is in fact quite entertaining.

In the end, “My Old Ass” is a movie that makes you laugh and think. It makes you ask questions about the choices you have made in your life and whether they were worth making. As someone who is still on the younger side, it got me thinking about my future and what kind of path I would like to make for myself moving forward. The chemistry between Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza is perfect. A lot of the supporting characters are likable. And I honestly left the movie wanting more. I am going to give “My Old Ass” a 7/10.

“My Old Ass” is now playing in select cities, and will be available in more theaters later this month. For my viewers near me in the Greater Boston area, you can catch the film in select cinemas starting Thursday, September, 19th. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the biopic “Reagan.” Stay tuned! Also look forward to my thoughts on “It Ends with Us” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “My Old Ass?” What did you think about it? Or, what is something you would tell your younger self, or even ask your older self? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!