Written by Emilio Luppino
Waiting until 2 a.m., reading the news while listening to music. Millions of profile pictures interacted with each other, exuberant, hyped up, convinced they would bet on the right horse. However, when the first polls came out, something felt off. Falling asleep thinking, she would have won, waking up to find him called president-elect.
A macabre aura shrouded the already overcast day. The city felt dry, lifeless. The streets appeared crowded only by dark, flying coats with no bodies to protect from the cold. Everyone’s gaze seemed fixed on the pavement, as if looking up required a calm or happiness the dreary day simply lacked.
The feelings after Trump’s victory resemble those evoked by The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi, which came out almost a month ago. The movie explores the essence of the former, and perhaps future, president of the United States. It follows the rise of a young man, known more for being the “son of” than for his own actions, morphing into a grotesque figure whose main talent lies in treating people like disposable vapes.
Sebastian Stan nearly perfects the hand gestures, pronunciation, facial expressions, and personality of the man elected last November 6th. Yet surprisingly, it’s not mere caricature. Depicting Donald Trump’s exuberant, eccentric personality would have been too easy. Instead, the character unfolds as a product of the toxic city and political milieu around him. The Nixon administration, Madman Theory, Kissinger’s pragmatism, the idolization of force and lack of mercy, the Vietnam War, and a nation in need of redemption—all this provided fertile ground for an aspiring mogul hungry for attention.
Yet, Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of Roy Cohn is arguably the film’s gem. Strong convinces the audience that, in the end, this ruthless lawyer who helped Trump climb New York’s social ladder is just a man, betrayed by his own creation. With quick wit, sharp responses, and an appealing charm, Cohn’s presence casts Trump in semi-darkness during the film’s first half—something that foreshadows his eventual downfall. In the second half, the director’s shots reveal not only the story’s arc but also the moral decay permeating parts of American society during the Reagan era.
Reagan’s policies are explored through two major themes. First, Cohn’s sickness from AIDS highlights the taboo surrounding the disease: prejudices, scandalous implications, shame, and a lack of state response, resulting in countless deaths. Not even a powerful lawyer like Cohn could escape this. Secondly, the individualism and greed associated with Reaganomics are ever-present. Whether Trump or Cohn, New York and America seem like places where blackmail, bribery, and corruption will always prevail, even at the cost of the common good.
Unfortunately, the movie does not dig deeply into the historical context, leaving references often in the background without explicitly addressing the events of the period. Additionally, the film presents a strong teleological component. Despite some brilliant performances, certain scenes portray Donald Trump too closely to the public perception of him today—sometimes even in a prophetic way, hinting at future events like the presidency. Nonetheless, The Apprentice remains a compelling watch, presenting Trump & Co. in a different, almost compassionate light, reminding us of the characteristics— whether seen as positive or negative—that define their actions with tools like discernment and curiosity. These same tools seemed absent in the last presidential campaign.
Bibliography
Boys, James D. “The Unpredictability Factor: Nixon, Trump and the Application of the Madman Theory in US Grand Strategy.” Cambridge Review of International Affairs 34, no. 3 (2021): 430–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/09557571.2020.1847042.
Brier, Jennifer, Andrew L Johns, and AL Johns. “Reagan and AIDS.” In A Companion to Ronald Reagan, 221–37. Oxford, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118607770.ch13.
Retrospect Journal 