Better Man
Directed by Michael Gracey
Written by Simon Gleeson, Oliver Cole, Michael Gracey
Starring Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Alison Steadman
Release Date December 25th, 2024
Published December 19th, 2024
While many are praising the new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, another music biopic has my attention, one I never imagined would be as good as it is. Better Man tells the story of English pop star Robbie Williams and it’s the biggest surprise of 2024, for me anyway. I had no real expectations for Better Man. I am only vaguely aware of Robbie Williams, mostly via his reputation as a troubled celebrity. When I heard a movie was being made of his life I was a little puzzled, Robbie Williams doesn’t appear to have the kind of global celebrity that one expects of someone who gets a movie made about their life.
And then the trailer for Better Man dropped and I was even more perplexed. Instead of an actor portraying Williams or Willams appearing as himself, a CGI Chimpanzee stood in place of the pop star. To say this peaked my skepticism is an understatement, the film looked like a deeply unserious bit of nonsense and a potential disaster. I’m so happy to have been proven wrong. Better Man takes the bizarre concept of a CGI chimp leading man and turns into a genuinely poignant metaphor for the self loathing, anxiety, and fear concealed behind the pop star bravado of Robbie Williams.
Find my full length review at Beat.Media, linked here.
