Sebastian Stan earns his wins this year for A Different Man. He took home the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

This 2024 Sundance hit, reminiscent of The Substance, stars Stan as Edward, a deeply insecure, Woody Allen-esque bit actor in New York City. Born with neurofibromatosis (NF1), Edward’s severely disfigured face causes him to retreat into himself, unable to make meaningful social connections. But as the film unfolds, it becomes clear: his physical deformity isn’t the root of the problem.

Aaron Schimberg’s dark comedy delves into self-perception and identity, revealing how deep-seated insecurity breeds isolation. Even after Edward undergoes a dramatic transformation into a conventionally attractive man — who introduces himself as “Guy” — he still doesn’t feel comfortable in his skin.

Acting is the only space where Edward feels safe — a controlled world where he’s given a script, a persona, and the approval of an audience. Stan delivers a remarkable performance, portraying a man crushed by self-consciousness. His hunched shoulders, nervous tics, and social awkwardness speak volumes.

Despite his new face, Edward remains an outsider. He’s not embraced; he’s merely tolerated. His failed attempts at connection —especially with his neighbor and crush, Ingrid (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World) — evoke empathy. Even when she is drawn to his new appearance and casts him in her off-Broadway play (about, ironically, Edward), the emotional distance persists. She doesn’t know “Guy” is Edward, yet remains disconnected.

To drive home the film’s message that personality trumps appearance, Schimberg introduces Oswald, played by British actor Adam Pearson, a real-life NF1 patient. Oswald is everything Edward is not. Oswald is charismatic, bold, socially savvy, and completely at ease with himself. Ironically, when Oswald grows close to Ingrid, Edward/Guy finds himself replaced in her play — by a man whose physical deformity is even more pronounced, yet whose inner confidence dominates the room.

Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at this year’s Oscars, A Different Man begins at a slow, almost glacial pace. We simply observe Edward’s mundane, lonely routine, and the film initially seems hesitant to explore his inner world. But perhaps that’s the point: Edward doesn’t truly know himself. He’s quiet, blank, and emotionally numb. He’s a boring guy, in short.

Things shift when “Guy” emerges. The film gains energy as we begin to see how others once viewed Edward. It’s an insecure person’s fantasy — to observe how the world sees you, like a form of social voyeurism. When Oswald appears, the film becomes even more alive. His flamboyant personality and infectious confidence highlight just how unseen Edward/Guy is. And this is where the laughs come in: watching Guy’s discomfort with Oswald, who becomes a threat.

Shot on rich, grainy 16mm, New York City feels tactile and intimate. Wyatt Garfield’s cinematography captures the psychological tension of Edward’s inner life while grounding the film in a gritty, lived-in aesthetic.

If there’s a flaw, it’s how the film portrays public reactions to Edward’s condition. People seem largely unfazed by Oswald’s and Edward’s severe facial tumors, which feels a bit idealized, considering the rarity and visual severity of NF1. However, Schimberg makes up for it through the subtler, more devastating “micro-rejections” Edward faces: the side glances, the condescension, and the invisible boundaries people create around him.

A Different Man isn’t a portrait of NF1 or a romanticization of facial difference. It’s a sharp, dark character study on the corrosive effects of low self-esteem. At its core lies a haunting question: What happens when you change your outward appearance…yet still feel incomplete inside?

4 out of 5 stars

Now streaming on Apple TV+