Reality Killed the Video Star: Better Man and Robbie Williams’ Rise, Fall, and Comeback
The biopic Better Man, following the British pop sensation Robbie Williams and his dramatic life, was released in theaters nationally on December 25, 2024, and globally at the beginning of January 2025. But who is Robbie Williams?
Growing up as an avid music listener, I couldn’t help but hear the names Take That and Robbie Williams, unlike the majority of Americans who have never heard of this man. However, with the release of Better Man and the unique artistic approach of the film (the fact that in the movie, he is a primate), Robbie Williams is slowly but surely becoming a name in America once and for all.
The film follows a young Robert Williams, struggling in school but finding the opportunity of a lifetime: joining a pop band, Take That, in the hopes that they’d be the English New Kids on the Block. At 16 years old, Robbie takes the chance, and Take That tops the UK charts. Following the fame, money, and celebrity status, addiction quickly consumes Williams. He left Take That in 1995 and started a solo career after a shot at rehab, releasing hits like “Angels” in 1996 and “Rock DJ” in 2000.
On paper, this film might seem like a basic movie about stardom; however, one element sets the movie apart from all of the other biopics of years past. Robbie Williams is a CGI monkey…
This film has had mixed reviews and is a box office flop, only receiving around $15 million worldwide with a $110 million budget. Reviews on the Letterboxd app vary, with some saying, “made me cry over a CGI monkey (twice),” and “I’m convinced that if you don’t love this movie that you simply do not like fun and are among the grumpiest people on earth.” Whereas others say, “I can count on one hand how many movies I have walked out of midway through, and Better Man is now added to that small but select list”
However, despite the overwhelming criticism of the movie, I was intrigued. The musical numbers, the monkey, the story, and the director, Michael Gracey, who also directed The Greatest Showman, caught my attention. So when walking into the theater, I thought, ‘How bad could it truly be?’ After many laughs and many tears, I can confidently say I walked out of the theater a newfound fan of Robbie Williams.
The film exposes a real and raw side of a pop star that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. While there is the classic cliche of celebrity biopic – the rejected loner that ends up finding fame and success and, with it, drugs and rehab – because of the interesting and unique direction from the CGI ape, I found the film different from any other biopic I have seen.
At first, I was hesitant, criticizing the chimp bit, but surprisingly, it worked, and I found it to be a great movie about a great musician. After the movie, curiosity about Williams naturally followed, and I went on to watch the docuseries Robbie Williams on Netflix, which I found to go more in-depth about his mental illness and his relationships with his songwriting partner, Guy Chambers, and women like Nicole Appleton and Geri Halliwell, also known as “Ginger Spice.” Overall, Better Man proved to be an entertaining biopic that highlights the life of a British superstar, and I can confidently say I am a fan.