“The Apprentice” is a new film distributed by the indie studio Briarcliff Entertainment. It was incredibly difficult for movie studios actually to purchase the film. Netflix turned down the offer because it feared losing many subscribers. The real Donald Trump tried to shut down this movie because he believed the film could hurt him during the election. His team decided to let it go because they believed that making a bigger deal of the issue would make the movie bigger and cause more damage to him.
Like him or not, Donald Trump is the most controversial person in politics lately. So it was shocking that they were making an indie biopic about him when things started getting crazier for the former president. The film stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, and Maria Bakalova as Ivanna Trump. “The Apprentice” is far from a typical biopic. It plays with the blurred lines between admiration and critique.
Director Michael Cuesta, known for his work on films like Kill the Messenger, leans into this, crafting a version of Trump that feels larger-than-life. The world of 1970s and ’80s New York is presented as 80’s punk rock fashion. The first half of the film focuses on Trump’s rise in the cutthroat world of New York real estate, and Stan captures that ambitious spark and the charisma that drew so many people to him. There’s a kind of swagger in Stan’s portrayal of Trump that’s magnetic—you can’t help but watch him closely.
But the film takes a sharp turn midway through. It stops being just about real estate deals and power lunches. Here, the cracks start to show in Trump’s carefully constructed image. As the shady deals stack up and his relationships with people like Ivana deteriorate, the audience is forced to confront the darker side of the controversial former president.
Cohn becomes an abusive and controlling figure, constantly manipulating and pulling Trump deeper into a web of legal and ethical gray areas. Cohn’s witty, sinister charm serves as both a shield and a trap for Trump, and it’s clear that, without Cohn, Trump might never have ascended to the heights he did.
This movie is very stylized and retro, shot in the 4:3 ratio, like how televised shows and news were made for smaller TVs. Even Stan as Trump is the main character, but it’s Strong who steals the show.
The real Roger Stone actually praised Strong’s performance in a tweet, “I knew Roy Cohn. Roy Cohn was a friend of mine. The portrayal of Roy Cohn by actor Jeremy Strong in the new movie, “The Apprentice,” is uncanny in its accuracy.”
Stan still puts on a great performance as Trump, as it could be a potential Oscar-worthy performance. It didn’t feel like an SNL impersonation, as it had more emotional stakes. The biggest worry many had with this film was how it depicted Trump. The answer is they make him a likable main character you’re rooting for until the last half. It gets quite dark, and these aren’t random false allegations. There’s evidence and truth to them. Many people, including myself, the writer may not like him very much, which is expected as he’s a controversial figure in American politics. However, this film puts you in his shoes and makes you root for him because of his good writing.
Unfortunately, many are too ignorant to listen to this film, thinking it is just false propaganda when it’s not. This film may be too controversial, as many, including highly conservative media, will attack the Academy because they believe they’re only doing it for the press rather than the actual art. I do hope this film could get some Oscar nominations, considering 2024 is a small year for cinema. Jeremy Strong’s performance was too good to be ignored.
I enjoyed this movie. It’s funny, has great acting, and is a fantastic story. Some of the audience didn’t like it, saying that it was propaganda. Paul Schrader, the writer behind Taxi Driver and the director of great films such as “First Reformed”, said he walked out of the film, saying, “It’s an excellent film but requires you to spend 2hr 15min in the company of a shallow reprehensible person.” It turns out Trump didn’t like the film that much. Donald Trump called it a “cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job.”
Critics are already divided, as expected. Some praise “The Apprentice” for its shocking portrayal of a figure who remains polarizing at best and reviled at worst. Others see it as an attempt to humanize someone who has, in their eyes, caused significant harm to the country. Of course, many people think the film is an unfair depiction of the former president.
Unfortunately, the film flopped, making $1.6 million domestically in its opening weekend despite having a budget of $16 million. The studio is going to lose lots of money, but they didn’t finance this movie, so it’s going to affect the producers as they independently financed this film.
What’s clear is that the film couldn’t find an audience. It’s pretty clear many people are tired of Trump and aren’t willing to spend $20 on tickets just to see a movie about a person they don’t like. Also, many Trump supporters see this movie as propaganda to villainize their hero.
Although it will lose money, movie flops don’t always guarantee that they will be irrelevant. “The Wizard Of Oz,” “Citizen Kane,” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” just to name a few, are the greatest pieces of cinema, and they failed at the box office.
With election season upon us, this film deserves a watch. It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself a Republican or a Democrat; I think many eyes should see this film.
