The Apprentice
Directed by Ali AbbasiA young man took over his father's real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York, and got the helping hand of an infamous closeted gay lawyer who helped him turn this young man into a notorious legend. Based on true events.
The Apprentice Ratings & Reviews
- Anthony GalindoMarch 3, 2026I liked the story. I liked the acting. I grew up in those days, so I felt transported back. Is it true? Who knows unless you were there to see for yourself. This is the writer's interpretation of events. If you have TDS you will not like this movie no matter the acting or story.
- VarunNovember 14, 2024A decently entertaining biopic. I think most people are wondering what the point of its existence is when there’s tons of media that already covers Trump’s past, but I think this movie did a good job capturing his psyche while exploring an interesting relationship with Roy Cohn. Sebastian Stan is unbelievably good in this role, really nails Trump without coming off as a goofy SNL skit. And Jeremy Strong gives a powerful performance too. I really liked the use of film grain and camera movements that gave a feel of an 80s documentary. I didn’t mind that there was no major plot in the second half since the focus just shifts to Trump’s descent into megalomania. This is not just a story about one man, but the story of America. The rich and elite always come first, they will be bailed out by the government in every single crisis while the lower classes foot the bill. The game is rigged. If you think it’s astonishing that Trump never landed in jail for the innumerable crimes he’s committed, then you’re a fool who bought into America’s “morally righteous” promises. And the populace seems like they never evolved their brains since the Wild West era as they’ve consistently been conned by snake oil salesmen. It’s very interesting to see how the power dynamics play out, is Trump just a calculated and lucky guy, or has he deluded himself on such a grand scale that his unbreakable faith in the 3 rules of winning has bent the will of the world to one man’s wiles? I used to think his primary motivation was just to look out for himself but this movie makes me wonder if the only thing he cares about is “the art of the deal” and seeing how much power he can amass by continuing to win against all odds, like an addict who can’t stop playing God and using a whole nation as his playground. The most powerful country on Earth is in the hands of a deplorable psychopath. This is also a reflection on humanity’s worst impulses and how easily we are co-opted by madmen and their devious propaganda machine. I hope we somehow find a way through this dark period of history, if there’s any destination even left at the end with the looming ecological crisis that will only worsen under Trump.
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025A must watch, based on Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong’s performances alone. Strong plays cutthroat New York attorney and power broker Roy Cohn who takes DJT under his wing, ploughing through obstacles in his path to real estate mogul and laying out his win-at-all-costs, never-admit-defeat playbook. Stan portrayal of Trump is a really masterful balancing act that captures a lot of Donald’s mannerisms, speech patterns, posture, etc, without ever feeling like he’s doing an impersonation. There are even moments where he manages to make Trump feel like a sympathetic figure. (I reiterate — moments). But as a film it was a little hard to see what the narrative was building towards, what endpoint we’re going to land on. And in that the respect, the film’s ending feels somewhat abrupt. In retrospect, the endpoint works fine, but watching it for the first time there was uncertainty about where it was headed and will it ever get there. T enlighten some of that uncertainly the film follows Trump up until he starts collaborate on his book The Art of the Deal, well before he’s become a reality TV personality and decades before any hint of a presidential run had taken shape. The heart of the film is really structured around the mentor-protegé relationship between Cohn and Trump. It’s not as scandalous as I would have expected a film about DJT to be, but it does highlight the culture and environment that incubated the Trump that we know of today. Can’t say enough good about Strong and Stan’s performances, but want to add in the Maria Bakalova as Ivana was exceptional as well. Was somewhat hoping the film would progress far enough to see a Bakalova - Giuliani reunion of sorts, but it wasn’t meant to be. Worth checking out.
- MrTrivetFebruary 2, 2026Like a VHS tape discovered years later, rotting behind a wall unit, the film gives a contemporary narrative and context to characters that were once mythological.
- Aischylos LowellJanuary 13, 2026Absolute garbage. Propaganda for the propaganda machine. Something the uneducated would believe. Which we all know he loves the uneducated. Well, the uneducated and little girls on display for him to solicit. Especially, if they can be bought and trafficked to America to become "made women" and friends with the likes of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
- Sophi ThornhillNovember 8, 2025incredibly done. the acting is amazing.
- amfxcSeptember 13, 2025you know what, why the hell not. it was a fun enough watch, kinda interesting. don’t regret watching it tonight
- BurnharmMay 21, 2025Gripping look into the early influences that shaped now president Donal Trump. Great performances but falls short on the psychological insight. Nevertheless it’s a thought provoking film that contributes meaningfully to the discourse on power and identity.
- JM LeBlintonApril 17, 2025wow what a waste man geeeeeee
- drunkennupeApril 6, 2025Solid movie. Definitely dope for a plane or train ride.
- Jonathon PackMarch 14, 2025It's impressively well-acted and was more interesting than I expected as it focused on Donald and Roy in the early days. However, I was left wondering how much was factual and how much was skewed as the filmmakers clearly didn't want to portray anyone in this story in any kind of positive light.
- PapaHamzehApril 2, 2025Fantastic movie. Great performances from everyone all around. Good tight script, great cinematography, especially with the retro aesthetics. Gave me the vibe of watching Scarface, which was a very cool style. What makes it difficult is, for those less curious and discerning, motifs and themes will be conflated with actual events, and may make people come away thinking certain things totally true, when perhaps they were embellished for the sake of art.
- Scott SeifertMarch 16, 2025Glad I watched it. I like how it recreated like 70s/80s film look and feel. I thought the acting was very good too.
- Eldon McGuinnessMarch 10, 2025The Apprentice is full of many things: great acting, charismatic characters, shocking revelations, and more. However, one thing it is missing is a way to measure how much of the various claims are spot on or something created with creative liberty. That being said, for anyone who watches this, even if you feel you are prepared for anything, you still are not prepared for this. Many of the things that occur in the movie are very unsettling and really make you think about the culture that our current governing and monetary systems come with and appear to support. That being said, the film does a great job of presenting the different periods and the subsequent evolution of the characters and their surroundings. The amount of work and skill that it must have taken to execute these characters so well is truly a testament to the craft of acting.
- WintlinkMarch 6, 2025The beginning that will bring the end
The Apprentice Trivia
The Apprentice was released on October 9, 2024.
The Apprentice was directed by Ali Abbasi.
The Apprentice has a runtime of 2h 2m.
The Apprentice was produced by Ali Abbasi, Daniel Bekerman, Julianne Forde, Jacob Jarek, Louis Tisné, Ruth Treacy.
A young man took over his father's real-estate business in 1970s and '80s New York, and got the helping hand of an infamous closeted gay lawyer who helped him turn this young man into a notorious legend. Based on true events.
The key characters in The Apprentice are Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), Fred Trump (Martin Donovan).
The Apprentice is rated R.
The Apprentice is a Biography, Drama, History film.
The Apprentice has an audience rating of 8.4 out of 10.
The Apprentice had a budget of $16M.
The Apprentice has made $17.3M at the box office.