Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice is not a conventional biopic. It does not attempt to humanize or outright condemn its subject in the way you might expect. Instead, it presents the rise of Donald Trump as a disturbing transformation, shaped by power, manipulation, and a mentor who was both brilliant and monstrous. It is fascinating, uncomfortable, and impossible to look away from.
Sebastian Stan Becomes Trump
Sebastian Stan does not just play Trump. He slowly morphs into him. The way he adjusts his posture, deepens his voice, and alters his expressions is eerie. In the beginning, he is just an ambitious young man, eager to make a name for himself. By the end, he is fully formed, speaking in grand declarations, twisting reality to suit his needs, and seeing himself as larger than life.
What makes Stan’s performance so unsettling is the way the transformation happens gradually. There is no single moment where he becomes Trump. Instead, every scene adds another layer. His mannerisms stiffen. His voice slows. His arrogance grows. By the final moments, when he stares out over New York and muses about his own greatness, it is chilling how much he resembles the man we know today.
Roy Cohn: The Real Villain?
Jeremy Strong’s Roy Cohn might be the most fascinating character in the film. He is ruthless, cunning, and operates with no moral compass. He teaches Trump how to bend the system to his will, how to manipulate the media, and most importantly, how to never admit defeat.
Yet, there is something tragic about him. His own life is full of contradictions. He preaches strength but hides his illness. He attacks others but is deeply insecure himself. His fall is brutal, and his final interactions with Trump carry a bitter irony. He created a monster, only to be discarded when he was no longer useful.
Strong plays him with a mix of charm and menace, making him both repulsive and oddly compelling. His presence looms over the entire film, even after he is gone.
A Film That Thrives on Absurdity
One of the most striking aspects of The Apprentice is its tone. It is dark, dramatic, but also absurd in ways that feel disturbingly real. Trump getting liposuction while a funeral plays out in another scene is a sharp, almost satirical dig at his priorities. The way he celebrates shady business deals as if they were world-changing victories highlights how much of his success came from perception rather than reality.
Abbasi does not try to explain Trump’s mind. He simply shows moments that illustrate how he operates. The deals, the betrayals, the media obsession, and the absolute refusal to ever admit weakness.
Not a Deep Character Study, But a Disturbing One
The film does not try to dig into Trump’s psyche. It does not give any grand thesis on why he is the way he is. Instead, it presents his rise as a series of moments that, when put together, paint a picture of a man who was shaped by power and never looked back.
For some, that might be frustrating. It does not offer much new information, and anyone familiar with Trump’s early years will recognize many of the key events. But what makes The Apprentice stand out is the way it frames these events. The slow transformation of Trump. The influence of Roy Cohn. The way power is built through connections, intimidation, and sheer audacity.
Final Thoughts
The Apprentice is unsettling, well-acted, and surprisingly watchable despite its dark subject matter. It does not try to explain Trump, nor does it try to outright destroy him. It simply lays out how he became the man he is today, and that alone is enough to make it fascinating.
Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong give some of their best performances, and Abbasi’s direction makes even the most absurd moments feel grounded in reality. It may not say anything groundbreaking, but it presents a portrait of power that is hard to shake.
