AC Films

Film i Väst

Film Institute

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland

Gidden Media

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The Apprentice

Name: The Apprentice
Released: 2024-10-09T00:00:00.000000Z
Rating: 6.8

An American horror story.

2024 • 122 min • ★ 6.8 (1,034) • Released

Comedy Drama History

A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as a hungry scion 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.

Homepage ↗ IMDb ↗

Original title: The Apprentice
Language: EN
Country: US
Budget: $16,000,000
Revenue: $17,271,613

Reviews & Ratings 4

Brent Marchant

Jan 25, 2025 · via TMDB

★ 8.0

In the interest of full disclosure, originally I had not intended to watch this film, a decision I’ll freely admit was governed by my politics, especially after reading several mistaken early reviews claiming that the picture presented a “sympathetic” look at its protagonist (a conclusion that, in hindsight, truly escapes me). However, I changed my mind after hearing about the recently announced Oscar nominations bestowing accolades on Sebastian Stan for lead actor and Jeremy Strong for supporting actor for their performances in this picture. And it was through that viewing experience that I realized I should not have let my politics get in the way of my screening decisions. Director Ali Abbasi’s fourth feature outing is truly one of 2024’s surprise stand-outs, one that certainly deserves more attention and recognition than it has received. This “origin story” about the meteoric rise of New York real estate mogul Donald Trump (Stan) in the 1970s and 80s candidly illustrates how he became the individual he is today under the tutelage of lawyer Roy Cohn (Strong), the infamous, underhanded political fixer who rose to prominence as Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s “trusted” associate during the 1950s Congressional anti-Communist hearings. Cohn, a man who would stop at virtually nothing to get his way for himself and his clients, groomed his impressionable apprentice on how to do the same for himself in business and in life, developments chronicled here in unreserved detail. In that sense, then, one could probably best characterize this offering as “instructive” about the nature of the man who went on to be elected to a second term as President, despite his many obvious and highly public failings. This story is brought to life thanks to the superb (and largely overlooked) screenwriting of Gabriel Sherman in only his second feature film outing, along with the picture’s fine editing, spot-on period piece production design, and outstanding performances of its two principals, particularly Strong. While the film indeed presents an excellent depiction of Trump’s apprenticeship in the business world, it could have been stronger when examining his personal life, particularly his stormy courtship of and arm’s-length marriage to wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova) and his rocky relationship with his family, both of which could have used some bolstering. Nevertheless, “The Apprentice” genuinely is one of the year’s best releases. It’s just a shame that more viewers didn’t see it before the last election.

Chandler Danier

Dec 10, 2024 · via TMDB

★ 8.0

Donnie Baby!!! Cool film about rich people doing rich people shit. But wait! It's the president of the EEUU. Great performances. Nice period specific film effects. Not sure how accurate it is but I assume 100% if the greatest country in the world tried to stop its release.

Manuel São Bento

Oct 13, 2024 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://talkingfilms.net/the-apprentice-review-sebastian-stan-and-jeremy-strong-shine-in-a-provocative-bold-donald-trump-biopic/ "The Apprentice will leave no one indifferent. By crafting a provocative, uncompromising narrative about Donald Trump's early days, Ali Abbasi and Gabriel Sherman confront audiences with a raw, unsettling view of a man who shaped politics, business, his country, and the world with intense controversy and questionable morals. The exceptional, award-worthy performances from Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong elevate a bold script unafraid to incriminate a former - and perhaps future - POTUS in multiple ways, revealing shocking events from his life and career. It's a biopic that challenges the audience to reflect on the choices we make every day and just how far we're willing to go to achieve our dreams." Rating: B+

CinemaSerf

Oct 9, 2024 · via TMDB

★ 6.0

I was really quite disappointed with this. It focusses on the rise of Donald Trump, and in that role Sebastian Stan proves quite effective at mimicking some of the famous mannerisms of the man himself. The facial expressions and the habit of repeating himself to thrust home his point are well captured by this performance. The rest of it, though, came across as little better than crude, occasionally violent, speculation centred around his relationship with the celebrated, and much feared, attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) whose thinly disguised homosexuality proves to be a more telling indictment of a New York that was beginning to come to terms with AIDS. Trump's rise from wealth to greater wealth and prosperity is skirted over too superficially with little meat put on the bones of his property acquisitions, developments and battles with an Ed Koch-led city hall, and it's all presented a bit too episodically weakly. Maria Bakalova acquits herself well enough as Ivana but as to the drama concerning the rest of his family, that's undercooked and I struggled to identify the accent(s) that seemed to be coming from his mother (Catherine McNally) as the importance of that torrid family unit struggles to impact on the story. For me, Strong steals his scenes and delivers well as the manipulative and scheming lawyer with few scruples, but the rest of this is all a bit of a soap that will probably polarise opinion as effectively as does Donald Trump himself.

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 29

1970s 1980s absurd aids atlantic city based on true story biography blackmail bribery brother brother relationship character study closeted homosexual corruption death of brother debt degenerate discrimination father son relationship funeral lawyer malfeasance marital rape mentor protégé relationship misogyny new york city politics rape real estate wiretapping

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Cast 55

Sebastian Stan

Donald Trump

Jeremy Strong

Roy Cohn

Martin Donovan

Fred Trump

Maria Bakalova

Ivana Trump

Catherine McNally

Mary Anne Trump

Charlie Carrick

Freddy Trump

Ben Sullivan

Russell Eldridge

Mark Rendall

Roger Stone

Joe Pingue

Tony Salerno

Ron Lea

Victor Palmieri

Edie Inksetter

Barbara Katz

Matt Baram

Dr. Steven Hoefflin

Moni Ogunsuyi

Sandra

Brad Austin

Dick Morgan

Stuart Hughes

Mike Wallace

Clare Coulter

Tenant Ms. Nathanson

Jaclyn Vogl

Donald's Date

James Downing

Walter - Department of Justice

Jai Jai Jones

Theodore Green

Bruce Beaton

Andy Warhol

Frank Moore

Judge Edward Neaher

James Madge

Tom Bolan

Ian D. Clark

Ed Koch

Mishka Thébaud

Aggressive Pimp

Taylor Brunatti

Ivanka's Girlfriend

Addyson Douglas

Ivanka's Girlfriend

Emma Elle Paterson

Ivanka's Girlfriend

Valerie O'Connor

Rona Barret

Chris Owens

Jay Pritzker

Rick Hughes

Business Guy

Jason Blicker

George Steinbrenner

Eoin Duffy

Tony Schwartz

Craig Warnock

Cabbie

Samantha Espie

Elizabeth Trump

Aidan Gouveia

Peter Fraser

Russell Yuen

Creditor

Michael Gordin Shore

Creditor

Michael Hough

Kinney - Reporter

Robert J. Tavenor

Reporter

Raechel Fisher

Reporter

Randy Thomas

Reporter

Gavin Pounds

Atlantic City Waiter

Craig Burnatowski

Le Club Bouncer

Chris Gleason

Limo Driver

Taylor Bernier

Young Lawyer

Patch Darragh

Daniel Sullivan

Marvin Karon

Harry Helmsley

Duane Keogh

Policeman

Mary Krohnert

Newscaster

Niamh Carolan

Donald and Ivana's Nanny

Drew Catherine

Wild Party Girl

Miles Carney

Party Orgy Participant

Peter McGann

Jay Stanley Pottinger (voice)

Tara Flynn

Entertainment Reporter (voice)

Emily Mitchell

Ivanka Trump (uncredited)

Crew 40

Kasper Tuxen

Director of Photography

Colin Penman

Makeup Department Head

Joel Labelle

Stunt Coordinator

AJ Risi

Stunt Driver

Ana Shepherd

Stunt Driver

Alicia Turner

Stunts

Bas Reitsma

Stunts

Brent Jones

Stunts

Derek Barnes

Stunts

Kostas Tourlentes

Stunts

Christian Tafdrup

Thanks

Craig Mazin

Thanks

Guillermo del Toro

Thanks

Jesse Dorian

Thanks

Oscar Isaac

Thanks

Paul Dano

Thanks

Vanessa Kirby

Thanks

Ali Abbasi

Director

Olivier Bugge Coutté

Editor

Emma Poppe

Associate Producer

Carmen Cuba

Casting

Kyle Stefanski

Co-Executive Producer

Victor Hadida

Co-Executive Producer

Nima Yousefi

Co-Producer

Ashley Renders

Executive Producer

Christina Wood

Executive Producer

Compton Ross

Executive Producer

Gabriel Sherman

Executive Producer

Greg Denny

Executive Producer

Hazel Clarre

Executive Producer

Mark Amin

Executive Producer

Neil Mathieson

Executive Producer

Phil Hunt

Executive Producer

Ali Abbasi

Producer

Daniel Bekerman

Producer

Jacob Jarek

Producer

Greg Denny

Unit Production Manager

Brian Irvine

Original Music Composer

David Holmes

Original Music Composer

Gabriel Sherman

Screenplay

Gallery

200

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US Release Dates 4

Aug 31, 2024

Telluride Film Festival

Premiere

Sep 29, 2024

Beyond Fest

Premiere

Oct 11, 2024

R Theatrical

Nov 1, 2024

R Digital