Despite being announced in 2018, this Donald Trump biopic was not released until last year, and somehow it feels as if it flew under the radar for us Brits.

The Apprentice is an independent biographical drama film starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump.

Directed by Ali Abbasi, written by Gabriel Sherman, the film also stars Jeremy Strong as attorney Roy Cohn, Martin Donovan as Trump’s father Fred, and Maria Bakalova as Trump’s first wife, Ivana.

It premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Impressing the critics, it sparked an eight-minute standing ovation; however, the film struggled to find American distribution due to its subject matter and an attempt by Trump’s legal team to block its release. Briarcliff eventually bought the rights and theatrically released it in late 2024. Since its release, the film has been met with much praise from critics for its acting, directing, and editing; Trump himself, meanwhile, described it as a “defamatory, politically disgusting hatchet job” intended to harm his ultimately successful 2024 presidential campaign. Stan and Strong each received wide acclaim and recognition for their performances, including respective nominations for Lead Actor and Supporting Actor at the 97th Academy Awards.

The film’s plot reads: “A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as a hungry second son 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.”

The film has received an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: “Instead of cross-examining its subject, The Apprentice gives Sebastian Stan the chance to shine in a simplistic yet entertaining foray into the world of a young Trump.”

One critic said: “It’s surprising and even a little disappointing that The Apprentice doesn’t go all in on the grotesque and extreme aspects of the Trumpian evolution. But it does show a side of the former US president that, you suspect, he would prefer not to be seen.”

A viewer said: “I wish this movie had gotten more attention and circulation.

“The thing is, this is a pretty sympathetic and balanced picture of a real human being.”

“One of the best films of the year I’m glad this got released and didn’t get blocked from being in the theatres,” added another.

The Apprentice is available to stream now on Netflix.



By Molly Toolan

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