Film review
The Apprentice 2024
Directed by Ali Abbasi122 minHistory · Drama · Comedy
A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as a hungry scion of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn, the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today. Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Watched 30 July 2025
Wow. Honestly a masterclass in acting from both Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Stan as trump is fascinating to watch, I went from not being able to see him as trump at all to now not being able to see anyone else do it as well. It wasn’t just a trump impression, it was the slight mannerisms and the way he naturally speaks that are just so spot on.
It made me really interested in the life of one of the worst people in the world. Honestly such a surprisingly fascinating story.
Throughout the film he really becomes trump and it’s incredible, fantastic villain origin story. It’s also such an important film, a real shame that more people didn’t watch it before the election. It’s so interesting to have a protagonist based on someone that you hate so much, they do a great job of making you hate him throughout the film, but also showing him as an incredibly well written nuanced character.
Also has very great visual style that feels very representative of the time it is set in.
Also Jeremy Strong gave a performance I didn’t realise he was capable, truly incredible. These two both deserve more praise they are some of the greatest actors working at the moment.
If you squint your eyes it’s literally trump on the screen.
8.5/10
