Movie Review: Better Man
I recently saw Betterman, a movie that, to be honest, I never would have chosen for myself. It came out in 2024, but I only got around to watching it recently. My fiancé mentioned, “I’d like to see a movie, but I don’t think you’ll like it.” I asked why, and he said, “Well, it’s a musical, it’s about Robbie Williams, and he’s a CGI monkey.” My heart sank. I’m not a fan of monkeys, at all, and while I enjoy a couple of Robbie Williams’ songs, I’m hardly a die-hard fan. After a brief pause and considering that he’d come with me to films I’d wanted to see, I said, “Well, I do like a couple of his songs…” to which he replied, “Great, let’s go now. There’s a showing in an hour.”
I was taken aback by the impromptu timing, as we typically went to the cinema in the evenings. But I scrambled to get ready and we left, me unsure of what exactly I was walking into.
To be clear, whatever I expected to see, Betterman was not it.
The plot revolves around a man who, as a child, was deeply wounded by his father’s lack of love, unable to accept the love of others, from his mother and grandmother to his wife and best friend. He rises to fame at a young age, never matures emotionally, and spirals into the typical pitfalls of celebrity: sex, drugs, partying, and erratic behavior. The story touches on things you would expect from a narrative about someone lost in fame: tantrums, self-destructive actions, and pushing others away. It’s a somewhat predictable arc, but it’s grounded in real pain, one that many will relate to, though I’m not sure Robbie Williams’ personal struggles are as devastating as the movie makes them out to be. Still, I get it; life can scar us, and that pain can infect everything we do.
But the movie itself? It’s far more than expected.
Once I pushed past the CGI monkey aspect, I was immersed in a visual masterpiece. The cinematic portrayal of emotional turmoil reached into me deeply, to a place I wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t just an emotional experience; it was an onslaught of emotions. I felt stripped raw, my empathy, my personal pain, all brought to the surface and expressed in a way that only film can. It wasn’t just a tear or two; it was a steady, uncontrollable stream of tears that left me utterly speechless. This wasn’t casual movie crying; this was an emotional gut punch that lasted the whole way through.
The movie’s honesty is relentless, and the vulnerability it takes to expose your soul in this way, to make yourself so completely open, is staggering. There are humorous moments, moments of everyday life, and yes, a few times where I rolled my eyes and thought, “Typical Robbie Williams.” And I’ll admit, after a while, I got a bit tired of seeing monkeys in the audience during his performances. We get it, it’s a metaphor, but it was used a little too often. Yet, beneath the surface of all that was something far deeper, an emotional core that stayed with me long after the credits rolled.
When I left the cinema, I was in shock. My fiancé asked me, “What did you think?” I couldn’t speak. On the way home, I stayed silent, and he asked, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” I managed to whisper, “That was hard-hitting. I need some time to recover.” And I didn’t speak again until we got home. I felt completely ravaged, emotionally wiped out, and the tears just kept flowing.
It took me over a week to process Betterman enough to write about it. When I read the reviews online, I see people talking about the humour, the film’s length, the portrayal of Robbie Williams as a musician and entertainer, and the excessive scenes of drug use. But no-one, no-one, mentions how decimating this film is on a core emotional level. Yet, that’s exactly how it affected me.
So, what can I say? Betterman hit me hard. It left me raw and exposed, emotionally drained in a way few films have. It’s one of those movies you feel more than you see, and for that, it’s brilliant.
Do I like Robbie Williams any more after seeing this film? Not particularly. Would I watch it again? Absolutely not! But would I recommend it? Yes.!Absolutely. It’s a deeply impactful, well-crafted movie that may not hit everyone the same way it hit me, but it’s worth seeing. Just make sure you bring tissues… you’ll need them.