Never before has a biographical film about a presidential candidate been released in theaters during the candidate’s campaign for the presidency. Despite “The Apprentice” finally securing U.S. distribution, it still might not happen. Fear of legal action from the film’s subject — or presidential retaliation should he secure a second term — has deterred major studios. However, Tom Ortenberg’s Briarcliff Entertainment has stepped up, setting an audacious pre-election release date of October 11, 2024. Still, a cloud of uncertainty surrounds “The Apprentice,” which made it mandatory viewing for all paranoid festivalgoers when it was announced as a surprise screening at Telluride. Surely, Donald Trump will not allow a film over which he had no control to reach the big screen.

Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, has already threatened legal action, and his attorneys have sent cease-and-desist letters to the filmmakers in an attempt to block its distribution. Furthermore, billionaire Dan Snyder — a staunch Trump supporter — was outraged after seeing a cut of the film he helped finance through the Kinematics production company, believing it would offer a positive portrayal of his close friend. Kinematics has since sold its stake in the film, citing the classic Hollywood buzz phrase “creative differences” as the reason for exiting the project, forcing the film to start a campaign of its own. In less than a day, “The Apprentice” exceeded its $100,000 Kickstarter goal — money intended to support its distribution. Donors were offered a slew of tiered rewards, from streaming access to credit placements, and even one of the toupees worn by Sebastian Stan in his portrayal of the real estate mogul turned media personality turned president.

With the gnawing sense that another shoe is poised to drop, the question becomes: Is “The Apprentice” worth all the hullabaloo it’s inspired? The answer largely depends on your feelings about its controversial subject. If you hate Trump, this remarkably fair and balanced portrait of his rise to power may not vilify him enough. If you love Trump, this accurate recreation of events — such as the rape of his first wife Ivana (portrayed by “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” breakout star Maria Bakalova) as referenced in their divorce record — will likely spark rage. If you consider yourself a moderate, or even a left- or right-leaning pragmatist, you may find entertainment in “The Apprentice,” even if it offers little in the way of revelatory ideas.

Screenwriter Gabriel Sherman, author of the Roger Ailes biography “The Loudest Voice in the Room,” wisely sought a non-American director to maintain an unbiased point of view for “The Apprentice.” Enter Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, directing his first American feature film. Abbasi imbues the film with kinetic energy and a unique visual style, with the look of the film mutating across decades. When Trump is an insecure nepo-baby trying to escape his father’s shadow in the 70s, Kasper Tuxen’s cinematography evokes the gritty, grainy films of that era. As Trump morphs into the media-savvy titan of industry in the 80s, the film takes on the fuzzy, washed-out qualities of early camcorder footage.

The transformations Trump undergoes in the film wouldn’t be possible without the guidance of his mentor. In a stoke of irony, “The Apprentice” shares its name with the reality show Trump would later host throughout the 2000s, but here, Trump is the student, learning under ruthless lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn. Portrayed by one of the finest actors working today, “Succession” star Jeremy Strong, Cohn takes a shine to Trump after encountering him in an exclusive New York club. In a scene that would fit in any mafia movie, Cohn summons Trump to his private table like a don, introducing him to a group of New York bigwigs who Cohn legally represents. Trump’s desire to build a luxury hotel and rejuvenate the dying city is mocked by nearly everyone, especially his father, Fred Trump (Martin Donovan, rendered unrecognizable through outstanding makeup work). However, Cohn sees not only ambition in Trump but someone willing to do anything to win.

Cohn, a pitiless prosecutor with a reputation that precedes him, helps facilitate Trump’s aspirations, all the while molding the heir to the Trump fortune in his image. This image largely resembles the man we know today, and once the Trump persona takes hold, the student surpasses the teacher in both prosperity and ruthlessness. Cohn, a vehement denier of his homosexuality, falls out of favor with Trump after contracting AIDS. Though Trump abandons the father figure he never had; the lessons Cohn taught him — which Trump later repurposed for his self-mythologizing memoir “The Art of the Deal” — become ingrained in his very identity.

Strong is mesmerizing as Cohn, relishing the chance to deliver a domineering presence akin to Logan Roy, while still finding as many sympathetic notes in a vapid soul as he did in his portrayal of Kendall Roy. Meanwhile, Sebastian Stan has mastered Trump’s mannerisms. From the pursed lips to the waving hands and the stilted posture, Stan convincingly embodies Trump, with his obsession over his hair further enhancing the immersion. If there’s one flaw in Stan’s performance, it’s that his voice is a bit understated, though that is preferable to a more enthusiastic vocal impersonation that might veer into caricature.

Trump is indeed a fully formed character in “The Apprentice,” neither demonized by a left-wing hit piece nor deified in a right-wing puff piece. “The Apprentice” aims straight down the middle, which for some may be as offensive as taking a political side. The film is less interested in making statements about Trump himself than it is in simply presenting his ascension to power, hoping the audience will draw broader conclusions about corporate greed and the threat of fascism. It’s “Frankenstein” told from the perspective of Frankenstein’s monster, made as engaging as a story with those dramatic limitations can be, thanks to committed performances and deft direction.

“The Apprentice” will (hopefully) hit theaters on October 11, 2024.