'Better Man' (2024)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The "Man" film that is most closely correlated and associated with Monkey Man due to releasing within the same year and actually having a monkey as the main character, Better Man is a genuine delight that exceeds all expectations. The film acts as a biopic for acclaimed UK pop star Robbie Williams, following his journey from childhood to chart-topping stardom all while he is personified by a CGI monkey right out of a modern Planet of the Apes film.

While this gimmick feels like it would grow tiring fast, it genuinely does a lot in terms of giving the film a distinct personality and charm compared to the wide array of generic musician biopics of recent years. The film fully leans into the chaotic, over-the-top persona that is Williams' discography, while at the same time having a lot of great emotional moments that go into the artist's darkest periods of his life. It's jarring that one of the best musician biopics of recent years is the one with the talking CGI monkey, but Better Man is leaps and bounds ahead of every other modern musician biopic.

10 Recent Movies With Titles That End With “Man,” Ranked

Love how supportive Jon Bon Jovi is of Rob , a true professional .

Edited November 2Nov 2 by Sydney11

Another portion of support the movie.

“Better Man” is a bold approach on Robbie Williams’ life story

From the film “Better Man” By Matthew Palmer PUBLISHED: November 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM EST

For those who may not remember, the Robbie Williams biopic, “Better Man,” is a recent release that had an initial wide release this past January. Despite the fact that this movie received glowing reviews, it performed rather poorly in its domestic run, which was ultimately driven by a combination of the subject’s limited fame in the US market, a very high production budget and the unusual concept of using a CGI monkey.

So, let’s dive into the recent release – “Better Man.”

“Better Man” is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. Under the direction of Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of the British boyband Take That, through his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Before checking out “Better Man,” I’ll admit I really wasn’t familiar with Robbie Williams at all. Now that I have seen the film, I can say that it can be highly entertaining for the most part and if you do enjoy the works of Robbie Williams, you’ll likely enjoy this biopic.

“Better Man” is definitely a bold approach to the music biopic genre since this biopic featured a CGI monkey in place of a human actor. While I was looking around online, I read in an interview that Williams said that he sometimes felt like a “performing monkey” while he performs – hence the CGI chimpanzee that’s used in the film. The CGI monkey can be a little distracting at times and it almost reminds me of one of the CGI chimpanzees from the recent “Planet of the Apes” movies.

The Robbie Williams biopic delivers some visually stunning musical numbers that are both really creative and well-choreographed. While fans of Wiliams will likely enjoy all of the musical numbers, the “Rock DJ” and “She’s the One” sequences will really stand out as they both effectively advanced the biopic’s story. The “Rock DJ” sequence is a pivotal moment since it shows his childhood dream of stardom coming true, while the “She’s the One” sequence shows the beginning of his romance with Nicole Appleton, which is intercut with the heartbreaking reality of their relationship.

The film’s main emotional core, which focuses on the on-again/off-again relationship with his father and their eventual reconciliation, can create a tear jerking impact for most viewers and their duet at the end can be quite moving. “Better Man” also focuses on Williams’ hardcore drug and alcohol use that spirals out of control as his fame grows.

Like I stated before, if you are familiar with Robbie Williams and enjoy his work, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this film. The overall story can actually get rather emotional and you may get used to the CGI monkey.

Trivia: The poster for the movie replicates the same photo utilized for the cover of Robbie Williams’ 1997 debut solo album, “Life Thru A Lens.” The movie arose from multiple interview recordings of director Michael Gracey made with Williams over the course of a year and a half in Williams’ Los Angeles recording studio. The interviews weren’t originally for a movie, as Gracey “just wanted to capture Williams in his own voice telling his story,” but the majority of Williams’ voice in the movie is from these recordings.

MPA: Rated R for drug use, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some violent content   (runtime 135 minutes)   (Paramount Plus)

 

“Better Man” is a bold approach on Robbie Williams’ life story – Wyoming County Examiner

 

Happy to see all these articles even after 1 year of its release!!

This week, the gang dives into Better Man, the wild and emotional Robbie Williams biopic directed by The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey. Starring Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton and Alison Steadman, this Oscar-nominated film tells the story of fame, chaos and chimps (yes, really).

Before the review, Stacey chats about Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Roses, Ben covers horror hits Under the Shadow and When Evil Lurks, and Harry kicks off a retro binge with the original WipeOut on PS1.

As always, it’s a light-hearted, nerdy breakdown packed with laughs, hot takes and plenty of pop-culture chaos.