12 Films That Inspired ‘A Different Man’

“A Different Man” is a hard film to pin down. The subject itself is one movies don’t often touch. Edward (Sebastain Stan) is an actor who suffers from a real genetic disorder, Neurofibromatosis –that causes tumors to grow in the nervous system and skin – but undergoes a fictional medical procedure to reverse the effects. His dream of the experimental medical procedure proves to be a nightmare, though, as he loses his identity and the theater role he was meant to play.

Writer/director Aaron Schimberg’s film is an empathetic drama, a film about masks and identity, but also an absurdist comedy wrapped in various genre filmmaking conventions, while simultaneously being steeped in the gritty and grimy independent New York cinema of decades past. It’s a mix-match of influences filtered through the unique vision of its director that results in something new.

More from IndieWire

• Why Paul Schrader's 'Mishima' Wouldn't Exist Without George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola

• With 'The Deliverance,' Lee Daniels Wanted to Scare Himself as Much as the Audience

• 'Strange Darling' Writer and Director JT Mollner on Reinventing the Final Girl

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) recently invited Schimberg to program a series of films, “I’m Not Myself Today: Films that Inspired A Different Man,” that starts on September 13 ahead of A24’s release of “A Different Man” on September 20. When Schimberg was a recent guest on an upcoming episode of IndieWire’s Toolkit podcast he discussed the films and directors he programmed as part of the series.

Best of IndieWire

• The 17 Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in September, from 'Fair Play' to 'Emily the Criminal'

• The 24 Best Teen Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

• The 33 Best Plot Twists of the 21st Century, Ranked

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.