Donald Trump needs no introduction: he's the business tycoon-turned reality TV star who then, of course, became President of the United States. Many documentaries have been made about Trump at all phases of his career, but 'The Apprentice' follows him on his rise to wealth.
In the 1970s, Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan, 'A Different Man', 'Fresh') is facing legal issues as he is not renting apartments to African-American people in New York. He enlists the help of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong, 'Molly's Game', 'The Gentlemen'), who not only helps Trump win that case but teaches him the art of the con. Cohn continues to mentor Trump, but as his wealth grows, building Trump Tower and meeting his first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova, 'Bodies Bodies Bodies', 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm'), Trump overtakes Cohn and becomes the controlling powerhouse he is today.
SWITCH: 'THE APPRENTICE' TRAILER
'The Apprentice' is truly a villain origin story. We get to see the inner workings of how Trump became the tycoon; the power-hungry dictator. Hearing that Trump is being played by Sebastian Stan sounds like an odd choice, but he devours the role, truly transforming into the man. It's one of Stan's best performances and continues to prove his range outside of the MCU.
'The Apprentice' is truly a villain origin story. We get to see the inner workings of how Trump became the tycoon; the power-hungry dictator.
The film is essentially told in two parts; Cohn training Trump and then Trump using those lessons to take over the world. What starts as a young man trying to get his break and live his dream turns into the horror story many U.S. citizens have experienced in recent years. The film does a good job of making you understand how Trump got to this point without ever feeling the need to make him likable.
'The Apprentice' is not going be for everyone. People who support him won't like how he is depicted, and understandably people who hate him don't want to hear about him. But the film is well acted, led by a career-defining performance by Stan.