The Apprentice tells Trump's supervillain origin story

A new movie chronicling the early days of Trump's rise to power and the man who built the monster is a hit-and-miss affair. Digital editor Dan Jensen dives into the highs and lows of Trump's origin story.

ONE WOULD THINK this is a perfect time to release a movie about why Donald Trump is a liar, a cheat, a cut-throat business opportunist and a womaniser (among several other adjectives). With the former reality TV star and convicted criminal back in the Oval Office, it seems not a day can pass without the man making sensational news headlines, mostly for despicable reasons. Trump really has become one of the world's most notorious supervillains.

But every supervillain has an origin story. What made them turn to the dark side? What drove them to megalomania and cruelty? The Apprentice reveals the reason why Donald Trump became the man he is today and that reason is lawyer Roy Cohn. This film tells the story of how Cohn took Trump under his wing and guided him into the notorious world leader we know today.

Starting with the positive aspects of The Apprentice, the movie looks amazing. Starting off in the early '70s, the movie looks and feels authentic for the period in which it's set. Shot in a 4:3 (square) aspect ratio and with a colour scheme reminiscent of films from that era, the movie boasts some detailed production design that lends much credibility to the visuals. Aside from that, the soundtrack helps the viewer to distinguish when the story changes decades, which was quite a clever device in lieu of displaying the year on screen.

The performances in The Apprentice are so good, both Sebastian Stan (as Trump) and Jeremy Strong (as Cohn) are up for acting Oscars at this year's ceremony. Stan studied tape recordings of Trump's voice from the time and is renowned as having a talent for imitation.

Since Donald Trump is so embedded in our collective consciousness, it's difficult at first not to see the performance as Sebastian Stan playing Trump. He does it extremely well, but it's not till around halfway through the film that one can let go enough to accept that it's Trump on screen and not Stan. But it's interesting to see Trump's trademark mannerisms developing as the years go by.

Jeremy Strong gives a captivating performance as Roy Cohn, the shrewd lawyer who moulded Donald from an eager property developer into what many consider a power-hungry, fascist dictator. Cohn is the sort of person who is so deeply focused and serious he rarely cracks a smile, even during festivities. Several scenes are quite fascinating, revealing how Cohn taught Trump how to succeed at all costs. And every time, Strong is an engaging presence onscreen.

The three rules imparted to Trump by Cohn are:

Attack, attack, attack.

Admit nothing, deny everything.

Always claim victory and never admit defeat.

Solely based on those three rules, it's easy to see why Trump turned out the way he is. With a history of relentlessly attacking everyone from minority groups to immigrants, a tendency to lie his way out of any situation in which he's to blame and being famous for claiming victories that don't exist, Cohn's influence is evident.

The key cast is rounded out by the always delightful Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump, Donald's first wife. While her acting is superb, her character suffers from some rather neglectful writing and doesn't quite feel more than a side character for most of the film.

And this is where The Apprentice suffers the most. With a subject as relevant and topical as Donald Trump, the film had a chance to be a compelling piece of cinematic storytelling. However, it feels restricted throughout many scenes, almost like it's afraid to tell the truth. There's a scene where Ivana is raped by Donald (an incident based on divorce records, but was later retracted by Ivana) but there are no consequences from such a powerful scene, nor does it go anywhere.

There are a few interesting moments here and there, such as how Donald Trump came up with (stole) his famous slogan of making America great again, but by the time the credits roll, you realise that the daily news headlines are far more riveting and shocking than anything The Apprentice has to offer. It's by no means a bad film and worth a watch, but don't go into it expecting anything amazing.

Family elements are thrown in, such as how tough Donald's father was on his children and how Don's brother, Fred Jnr, brought shame to the family by becoming an airline pilot. But none of this stuff added much to the main story and felt like filler at times. There are also several scenes in the film that really make the viewer question how much of The Apprentice is factual.

Trump himself took to social media ranting about the film, calling it a ‘cheap, defamatory and politically disgusting hatchet job’ made by ‘human scum’. At least it succeeded in pushing his buttons. It's just a pity the hatchet was rather blunt.

The Apprentice is currently available for rent on Amazon Prime Video.

You can follow digital editor Dan Jensen on Bluesky @danjensen.bsky.social or check out his podcast, Dan and Frankie Go To Hollywood. Follow Independent Australia on Bluesky @independentaus.bsky.social and on Facebook HERE.