By Angela Tricarico

One thing about me is that I am always going to watch a Sebastian Stan movie, and I’ll be honest: I went into this one not expecting to like it for obvious reasons. Spoiler alert: despite that, and despite naming it the best horror movie I saw in 2024, I loved it. The Apprentice stars Stan as a young Donald Trump, up and coming in the real estate world under the mentorship of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). The dynamic of Trump and Cohn, as played by Stan and Strong, is something similar to Frankenstein and his monster, or Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. We see how Cohn pulled strings and planted seeds in the ’80s for this man to eventually become the Trump we know today. The Apprentice is a well-acted biopic that also shines technically with a unique aspect ratio and a shaky camera technique that gives it a vintage feel.

Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival