The Apprentice

Perhaps the most controversial movie of the year, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, set in the 1970s, shows a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), harbouring ambitions to pursue the regeneration of New York City and cultivate a real estate empire under his name. Trump is taken under the wing of ruthless lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), from whom he learns how to navigate through the seedy affairs of the city. Nevertheless, their relationship becomes tumultuous over time, as Trump’s huge successes overshadow Cohn’s presence in the partnership. The film also explores aspects of Trump’s personal life, including his relationship with his father and his marriage to his first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova). Sebastian Stan, bolstered by a strong supporting cast, is convincing in his complex portrayal of the figure: from the eager somewhat naïve young man keen to prove himself to his father, to the prosperous entrepreneur standing victorious over the city he conquered. Though the film was described by its subject Trump as “fake”, “classless” and a “politically disgusting hatchet job”, it remains essential viewing for those interested in the (partly fictionalised) origin story of the man recently re-elected to the most powerful position in the world.

Haleeqa Hashmi