The Apprentice. 123 min. Relativity Media. 2024. DVD UPC 843501043349. $29.98; Blu-ray UPC 843501043356. $34.98. Rated: R. BIOPIC

In early-1970s New York, a young and eager Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) finds a willing mentor in merciless lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) to mold a Machiavellian real-estate mogul. Director Ali Abbasi capitalizes on impressive lead performances, especially Strong’s scary re-creation, to show a symbiosis with unforeseen political consequences. With its grainy, period cinematography helping to establish time and place, this compelling drama primarily sticks to the historical record. VERDICT An antidote to Dinesh D’Souza’s Vindicating Trump.

The Beast (La Bête). 145 min. In English & French w/English subtitles. Janus/Criterion. 2023. DVD UPC 715515306911. $24.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515306812. $29.99. SCIENCE FICTION

In the year 2044, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) undergoes an AI-driven “purification” process intended to rid her of troublesome emotions. During treatment, she meets her paramour Louis (George MacKay) in prior incarnations of their lives: Paris in 1910, Los Angeles in 2014, and again in their current time, with her potential loss of interest in love now a dreadful prospect. Director Bertrand Bonello’s very loose adaptation of Henry James’s novella The Beast in the Jungle offers an intriguing premise with, ironically, understated emotion. VERDICT For audiences up for a challenge.

The Poetry of Lee Chang-dong: Four Films. 4 discs. 514 min. In Korean w/English subtitles. Film Movement. 1997-2010. Blu-ray UPC 810161480371. $69.99. DRAMA

A quartet of early works from South Korean filmmaker, playwright, and novelist Lee Chang-dong (Burning) are newly restored in 4K and available in this box set. His 1997 directorial debut, Green Fish, concerns a young man fresh out of the military who falls in with a gang of mobsters. Peppermint Candy (1999) follows 20 years of a man’s life in reverse chronology, beginning with his suicidal intent. Oasis (2002) showcases a relationship between a man with an intellectual disability and a woman with cerebral palsy, which flourishes despite societal and familial opposition. Finally, Poetry (2010) follows a woman diagnosed with dementia who discovers poetic inspiration after learning that her grandson was involved in a heinous crime that resulted in a girl’s tragic death. Forgoing the melodramatic and maudlin for restrained yet persuasive sentiment is the artistic inclination of Lee’s developing body of work. VERDICT A recommended primer for Korean cinema aficionados.

Salt of the Earth: 70th Anniversary Edition. b/w. 92 min. Film Masters. 1954. Blu-ray UPC 840418310878. $34.99. DOCUDRAMA

Based on true-life events, blacklisted filmmaker Herbert Biberman’s dramatization of a strike by Mexican American coal miners in New Mexico evokes The Grapes of Wrath with its elemental depiction of social injustice. Shot mostly with actual miners in lieu of actors, this very early independent film prefigured the women’s movement by showing homemakers assuming breadwinner roles for striking families’ survival. Newly restored, this National Film Registry title should supersede previous public-domain copies. VERDICT Worthwhile despite its very humble production values.