Most people struggle with allowing their physical traits define what they can or can’t do. Attractiveness, unfortunately, can serve as a major factor in acquiring a job, starting a relationship, or even making new friends. In today’s world, the more attractive you are, the more likely people will gravitate positively towards you. This is known as the halo effect. Essentially, the halo effect occurs when one judges another person based on one positive trait, usually attractiveness, and then leads one to assume other positive traits that are unrelated, like intelligence or kindness. However, Aaron Schimberg’s dark comedy, A Different Man, offers an alternative perspective through the story of Edward, an aspiring actor with a rare genetic condition, neurofibromatosis type 1.

Edward condition causes benign tumors to grow on nerve tissue, leading to facial disfigurement, in his case. Throughout the beginning of the movie, Edward struggles to find an acting job, not as a result of his condition but because of his terrible acting. Living in a dingy apartment in New York City with no close family or friends, Edward blames his lack of success on his looks. It becomes apparent that Edward constantly wallows in his self-pity, accepting his life as one big failure. Soon, he becomes unlikely friends with his next-door neighbor, Ingrid, who soon rejects being involved with him romantically. Desperate and helpless, Edward agrees to undergo a medical procedure that will cure him of his condition and restore his face. Days after his procedure, Edward begins to feel physically uneasy, constantly throwing up and peeling off chunks of his face.

After a troublesome night, Edward awakes to find his condition cured. He assumes the identity of Guy Moratz and becomes a wealthy and successful real estate agent, claiming that Edward had committed suicide. “Guy” spots Ingrid holding auditions for her off-broadway play ‘Edward’ and auditions, earning the role of Edward. However, Guy is struck hard when he meets Oswald, a charming, confident, and wise-cracking man with the same condition as Edward, who later assumes the role of Edward in Ingrid’s play. Guy is confronted with the fact that his own failures had nothing to do with his condition beyond that of being a loser.

Guy spends the rest of the movie rotting in his jealousy of Oswald, watching how others are captivated and in awe of Oswald’s talent and charisma. This directly addresses the idea of the halo effect. While the majority of daily interaction is affected by one’s attractiveness, one’s overall behavior and temperament is the true indicator of attractiveness.

What struck me most about this movie was not just the 70’s style, grainy cinematography, but the parallel between Edward’s old life and ideal life. Edward experiences both but lives them in the same way. He approaches both lives in a soft-spoken, meek manner, bolstering an unfulfilling dream.