A Different Man: Finding the Face that Defines You, Society Be Damned

By Thom Ernst

Rating: A-minus

Of the cascade of ideas flowing out of director Aaron Schimberg's A Different Man, the one that strikes hardest is the observation that confidence outweighs physical appearance.

That might oversimplify what Schimberg is aiming for in this film, which dips into the lure of celebrity and society's reluctance to embrace differences, and upends questions about one man’s quality of life despite not fitting into a beauty-conscious mold.

Adam Pearson as Oswald, in a role he was born to play.

What elevates—perhaps even rescues—A Different Man from its seemingly surface-level premise is how this cautionary tale, however familiar, is delivered. Schimberg’s film is a blend of low-level science fiction and mid-range body horror, though it’s body horror with a social conscience. It’s remarkable viewing, even as it distills its theme into a well-worn message of resilience that’s idealized rather than realistic.

At the film’s core is Edward (Sebastian Stan), a working actor living with neurofibromatosis, a disease that manifests as large tumors on the face and body. Think Eric Stoltz in Mask (1985) or John Hurt in The Elephant Man (1980).

In the context of traditional human appearances, neurofibromatosis is often viewed as something "other," a vivid and shocking deformity that exposes the afflicted to a lifetime of cruelty, bullying, and isolation. So, when news breaks of a radical untested cure, Edward steps up to be first in line.

The experiment is a success, and in no time, Edward’s tumors fall off in fleshy, bloody chunks—a case where the cure is almost uglier than the disease. But with the tumors gone, Edward can finally face the mirror and be pleased with what he sees.

But just as he begins to adjust to his new identity, auditions are announced for the role of a character with neurofibromatosis. It’s the role Edward was born to play, but now, his conventional looks are getting in the way of securing the role. Not even donning a realistic mask of his former face can bring him back to the identity that once defined him. In this strange twist of fate, Edward finds himself longing for the man he once was—tumours and all.

Then enters Oswald (Adam Pearson), who, in contrast, lives life with neurofibromatosis as though unaware or unconcerned with being perceived as different. Charismatic, talented, and genuinely unaffected by societal perceptions, Oswald becomes the frontrunner for the role Edward so desperately covets. Things seem to come easy to Oswald despite the extreme physical disadvantages plaguing him.

Pearson is the real deal. Off-screen, he navigates the world with neurofibromatosis, yet on-screen, his performance transcends his condition. He isn’t just playing a man with neurofibromatosis; he’s playing a man defined by his talent and presence, not his appearance.

Charly (1968) comes to mind when watching A Different Man—a film where a neurodivergent man is transformed into a genius through the intervention of his doctors. That transformation earned Cliff Robertson an Oscar for Best Actor. A Different Man operates in a similar space, exploring the limits of transformation and identity. But with Schimberg in charge, the tragic journey Edward sets out on, is laced with equal parts humour and dread. 

A Different Man is a film that sneaks across the screen like the vague retelling of someone else’s nightmare, as though director David Lynch had his hands in the project. But this film belongs to Schimberg and the movie’s two leads, Stan and Pearson. If the trend for actors getting Oscar nominations playing physically disabled and neuro-divergent characters is still alive, then Sebastion Stan might well expect a Best Actor nomination at the 2025 Academy Awards. Pearson too, but not because of performing as a man with a physical disability but as a man who performs well outside the reach of his disability.

Pearson is the draw to see A Different Man, not out of curiosity, although curiosity does play its part, but out of Pearson’s significant contribution to presenting disabilities on screen.

A Different Man is directed by Aaron Schimberg and stars Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson.  A Different Man opens in selected theatres, Friday, September 27,