MOVIE REVIEW – In contemporary Hollywood, the days of bold political statements on the big screen are practically over. If a project is bankrolled by a streaming service or major studio, don’t expect hard-hitting social commentary. The era of filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Alan Pakula delivering cultural touchstones like The Conversation or All the President’s Men feels like ancient history. Even Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate—a film once heralded for its political foresight—is now two decades old. Such works now read almost as documentaries, uncannily prescient in their reflection of societal and political evolution. 

Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice may not reach the heights of those masterpieces, but it delivers a thoughtful and provocative exploration of one of the most polarizing figures in modern history. The film strikes a careful balance, refusing to exaggerate or sanitize, while providing a scathing, unfiltered look at both America and the world through the lens of a past and potentially future president. 

Sebastian Stan excels as the young Donald Trump, capturing the awkwardness and insecurity of a man living in the shadow of his domineering father during the 1970s and 1980s. Jeremy Strong is magnetic as Roy Cohn, the infamous lawyer known for his role in the McCarthy hearings and the Rosenberg trial—manipulative tactics that led to the couple’s execution in 1953. By the time Abbasi’s story begins in the ’70s, Cohn has fully honed his skills as a master manipulator, setting the stage for one of Trump’s earliest and most formative political battles. 

In 1973, Trump faced accusations of violating the Fair Housing Act for barring African Americans from his properties. Enter Cohn, who orchestrates a brash counterstrike: a $100 million countersuit against the government. Though this audacious move was ultimately dismissed in court, Trump settled the original case out of court—a calculated victory that would mark the beginning of a career defined by ruthless ambition and unrelenting self-interest. 

The Three Rules of Trump: Attack, Deny, Win 

Stan’s portrayal of Trump is nothing short of transformative, capturing the trajectory from an overeager striver of the ’70s to the unapologetically arrogant mogul of the ’80s. At the heart of this evolution lies his relationship with Cohn, depicted by Strong with a chilling mix of charisma and malice. Cohn not only serves as Trump’s legal counsel but also as his life coach of sorts, teaching him the three principles that would define his career—and now his presidency: “Attack, deny, and never admit defeat.” 

Abbasi presents this mentor-protégé dynamic with a calculated detachment, sparing the audience any didacticism. The effectiveness of Cohn’s rules in shaping Trump’s path is already self-evident; Abbasi wisely refrains from overstating it. This restraint is admirable, though it lends the film’s first two-thirds a somewhat sluggish pace. Fortunately, the cast’s performances inject the narrative with vitality. Maria Bakalova, as Ivana Trump, offers a standout performance filled with wit and energy, showcasing the fallout of Trump’s relentless climb to the top. 

One of the film’s most harrowing scenes depicts the dissolution of Donald and Ivana’s marriage. Desperate to rekindle their relationship, Ivana suggests spicing up their sex life. Trump’s reaction is cold and cruel: he dismisses her, openly derides her surgically enhanced breasts—implants he insisted she get—and then erupts in anger, shoving her to the floor and forcing himself on her. While some might argue the encounter skirts the line of consent, Abbasi’s framing leaves no doubt that this is sexual assault. The scene is both horrifying and entirely in line with the man portrayed on screen. 

America’s New President: A Ruthless Narcissist Clown in Power 

It’s easy to see why The Apprentice has ignited such fury among Trump’s supporters. Dan Snyder, one of the film’s investors and a known Trump ally, reportedly erupted in anger after viewing the film’s February cut, according to Variety. Trump himself dismissed the film as “pure fiction” and threatened legal action. Yet Abbasi’s portrayal, rooted in Gabriel Sherman’s screenplay, is undeniably grounded in reality. There’s no need for embellishment; the behaviors depicted align all too closely with what the public has already witnessed. 

While the film doesn’t offer groundbreaking revelations, it effectively contextualizes how America has arrived at this moment. Trump’s return to the presidency underscores a chilling truth: this is a man devoid of empathy, scruples, or regard for his constituents. His decisions are guided solely by personal gain, whether in wealth or power—not the hallmarks of a public servant, but a servant to himself. 

Abbasi’s The Apprentice is an ambitious project that, while not radical enough to change minds, is precise and provocative enough to elicit outrage. Its quiet defiance is a reflection of our times, where nuance is often overlooked, but the battle cry of “Attack, attack, attack” is universally understood. 

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-