New biopic ‘The Apprentice’ charts Donald Trump’s rise and subsequent notoriety in the world of business

Love, like or loathe Donald Trump, it’s difficult to deny the guy does have charisma. And he’s led quite the charmed life.

A big chunk of Trump’s life is presented in shiny biographical form in new movie ‘The Apprentice’ by Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi – a film that garnered quite the buzz at its premiere screening at Cannes.

The 1970s-set film takes place during the early years of Trump’s business career and centres on the former president’s relationship with cutthroat New York City prosecutor Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).

The Apprentice stars Sebastian Stan as a younger Trump, playing out his years as the son of a landlord who owns properties in and around New York, with ambitions to open a luxury hotel in a seedy part of Manhattan.

Crossing paths with influential lawyer Roy Cohn, Trump finds a kinship with the man who pursued communist spies during the cold war and represents criminals throughout the city. Taking Trump under his wing, Cohn schools Donald in a ‘take no prisoners’ approach to business that will change America in unforeseen ways.

Of course Trump then made his way from businessman to television personality to president and now he heads towards another election, aiming to win the presidential role once more. This film – which, judging by the shorts, is like biography through a Jeff Koons lens – ought to do a good job of presenting the motivations behind the man who has managed to polarise a nation, if not the world.

Antonino Tati

‘The Apprentice’ screens at Luna Leederville and Luna on SX from October 10, 2024.

Tickets can be purchased here.