Ali Abbasi
The Apprentice
The Apprentice
CA, DK, IE
2024, 120, en
Age 16+

 

The story of a master and his apprentice set in the jungle of the New York real estate market. In the early 1970s, Donald Trump is still a novice, an issue-riddled hustler overshadowed by his father, Trump Sr. Everything changes when he meets lawyer Roy Cohn. By stealing ideas and catchphrases (including one from Reagan) and adopting Cohn’s tactics, Trump becomes the “best” version of himself. Set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, the heyday of show business, and modern palaces of Italian marble, New York becomes Trump's playground, albeit it soon begins to feel claustrophobic. 

How does one make an accurate biopic in the post-truth era, especially about someone who popularized the notion of "alternative truth"? Iranian-Danish provocateur Abbasi (known for renowned The Border (2018) and The Holy Spider (2022)) has the answer. Featured at Cannes, Abbasi’s film avoids the populist rant “make biopics great again” and instead uses the same bravado and “alternative facts” techniques employed by Trump himself. The film, harshly criticized by Trump and his supporters, utilizes 1990s video aesthetics, wry irony, and elements emblematic of peak capitalism. It features a stellar cast, including Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong (from The Succession), and even Borat’s daughter, the Oscar-nominated actress Maria Bakalova.