Better Man (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Founder | Michael Gracey (director and co-writer) |
| Headquarters | Australia, China, France, United Kingdom, United States |
| Products | Biographical musical drama film |
Better Man is a 2024 biographical musical drama helmed by director Michael Gracey, who also co-authored the screenplay alongside Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole. The narrative follows the life story of English vocalist Robbie Williams and stars Williams himself, together with Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, and Alison Steadman. This project represents a multinational collaboration involving Australia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The film's development commenced in February 2021 with Gracey at the helm as both director and co-writer. Robbie Williams is portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee, a character brought to life through motion capture by Davies and co-voiced by Williams. This creative choice reflects Williams' own description of himself as a "performing monkey" and complements the film’s satirical musical tone. Additionally, Williams re-recorded several tracks for the movie’s soundtrack. Principal filming took place from May 2022 through June 2023 at various sites including Docklands Studios in Melbourne, London's Regent Street and Royal Albert Hall, as well as Krnjača.
The debut of Better Man occurred at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024. It was subsequently released theatrically in the United States on 25 December under Paramount Pictures, followed by launches in the United Kingdom and Australia on 26 December through Entertainment Film Distributors and Roadshow Films, respectively. Although it garnered favorable reviews from critics and secured nine awards at the 14th AACTA Awards, including Best Film, the movie underperformed commercially, earning just $22.5 million against its $110 million budget, categorizing it as a box-office failure. Nevertheless, it received nominations for Best Visual Effects at notable ceremonies such as the Academy Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, BAFTA Film Awards, and Visual Effects Society Awards.
Plot
In 1982, eight-year-old Robert Williams lives in Stoke-on-Trent and endures ridicule at school but looks up to his father Peter—a police constable with dreams of becoming an entertainer inspired by Frank Sinatra. Robert inherits his father’s anxiety about insignificance, while his grandmother Betty urges him to remain true to himself.
During a youth theater production of The Pirates of Penzance, Robert conquers his stage fright but grapples with feelings of impostor syndrome. After Peter wins a talent contest yet abandons his family to chase stardom, Robert moves out with his mother, holding onto a comb tied to his father’s pre-performance ritual ("Feel").
By 1990, Robert is relentlessly chasing fame. He auditions for a boy band in Manchester, impressing manager Nigel Martin-Smith with his confident attitude despite an outdated look. Joining Take That alongside songwriter Gary Barlow, Robert adopts the stage name "Robbie," shaping a public persona that conflicts with Betty’s disapproval.
Take That achieves popularity among teenage fans after performing in unprofitable gay clubs. Robbie’s internal doubts intensify ("I Found Heaven"). The group secures a record deal in London and celebrates publicly ("Rock DJ"). Robbie resists Gary’s control but descends into depression. After losing lead vocals on "Relight My Fire", Robbie reclaims attention amid substance abuse problems, resulting in his dismissal and being blamed for the band’s breakup. He then commits to launching a solo career ("Come Undone").
Robbie’s engagement to singer Nicole Appleton from All Saints ends acrimoniously following pregnancy termination under management pressure ("She's the One"). While Nicole enjoys chart success, Robbie mingles with idols like the Gallagher brothers, who dismissively emphasize their Knebworth Festival headlining status.
Producer Guy Chambers initially rejects Robbie’s pop compositions but later recognizes promise in his heartfelt lyrics ("Something Beautiful"). Determined to headline Knebworth, Robbie undertakes rigorous touring amid heavy substance use.
As his fame grows, he performs a duet with Tom Jones at the Brit Awards ("Land of 1000 Dances") and secures the coveted Knebworth headline slot. Battling addiction and fear leads to emotional lows; Nicole ends their engagement. Robbie misses Betty’s death from dementia ("Angels"), which triggers public outbursts and strained relationships. Learning that Peter reconnected only at Betty’s behest, Robbie condemns him as opportunistic.
At Knebworth, Robbie confronts his self-hatred manifested as an imagined crowd of past selves, culminating in an intense internal struggle during "Let Me Entertain You." Alone on a frozen lake, he is stopped by sunlight symbolizing Betty’s memory.
Robbie enters rehabilitation, acknowledging that fame has hindered his personal growth. He reconciles with Gary and Nate, parts amicably with Nicole, and processes grief at Betty’s graveside ("Better Man"). At the Royal Albert Hall, he invites Peter onstage for Sinatra's "My Way," concluding with mutual respect as their past selves look on approvingly.
Development
The project, revealed in February 2021, was co-written and directed by Michael Gracey, who also took on producing duties alongside Jules Daly for Big Red Films and Craig McMahon representing McMahon International. Writing contributions came from Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson. Financial backing included the Australian government's Producer Offset and incentives from Film Victoria. Roadshow Films oversees distribution across Australia and New Zealand, while Rocket Science manages international sales.
This film, characterized as a satirical musical, chronicles three decades of Robbie Williams' career, starting from his initial success with Take That to his solo ventures and struggles. It seeks to "reinterpret and recontextualise" several of his tracks. The title Better Man is inspired by one of Williams' own songs.
Casting
Robbie Williams described the filming experience as "super odd," often spending time "in make-up" alongside actors portraying his family members. His character appears as a CGI chimpanzee, performed and voiced by Jonno Davies through motion-capture technology. The young Williams is played by Carter J. Murphy, while Williams himself provides narration and voices his role in the closing scene. Although Williams re-recorded numerous songs, additional vocals were supplied by Adam Tucker, including on "My Way" and "She's the One" (the latter featuring Kayleigh McKnight).
The cast also features Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Anthony Hayes, Damon Herriman, and Kate Mulvany. Williams' former Take That bandmates are portrayed by Jake Simmance (Barlow), Liam Head (Donald), Jesse Hyde (Owen), and Chase Vollenweider (Orange). Visual effects were created by Wētā FX, utilizing their experience from the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise.
Filming
Gracey’s vision was to depict Williams through his own lens, representing him as a chimpanzee to mirror Williams’ self-description as a "performing monkey." Williams remarked: "I've been a cheeky monkey all my life. There's no cheekier monkey than the coke-snorting, sex-addict monkey in the movie." This approach was chosen to prevent audience distraction that might arise from an actor's portrayal. Gracey emphasized that this method enhances empathy since viewers tend to form strong connections with animals. The film does not provide any rationale for the chimpanzee representation. To limit time away from his family, Williams only performed motion capture for the final sequence where he sings "My Way."
Principal photography took place at Docklands Studios Melbourne during May and June 2022. For the finale concert set at the Royal Albert Hall, stage footage was shot in Melbourne, while crowd reactions were captured later during Williams’ live performance at the venue in November 2022. Audience members had the option to purchase discounted tickets with formal attire; some seats were reserved specifically for filming purposes. Due to interruptions on 6 November, usable material was sourced from the 7 November show.
In March 2023, the Regent Street musical number involving 500 dancers was filmed on location, necessitating a four-night closure of the street and nearby businesses. Initially planned for September 2022, this shoot was postponed due to the death and state funeral of Elizabeth II and subsequent holiday decorations. Additional scenes were filmed in Krnjača, near Belgrade and Pančevo, Serbia.
Visual Effects
The footage shot on Regent Street was digitally altered to substitute contemporary LED displays with signage authentic to the 1990s era. Interestingly, the seasonal "Spirit of Christmas" angel light installations, which were only introduced to Regent Street in 2016, were intentionally included as an anachronistic element within the dance segment. These lights were recreated using incandescent bulbs to maintain period accuracy.
For the Knebworth Festival sequence, which was interspersed with genuine footage from the 2003 event, Wētā meticulously reconstructed the concert’s lighting setup. This was achieved by utilizing lighting control data obtained from the original concert operator. A three-dimensional simulation of the lighting rig allowed for precise manipulation of the virtual lights.
Soundtrack
Robbie Williams performs several tracks in the movie, including "She's the One," "Angels," and "Let Me Entertain You." Director Gracey explained that these songs were "re-recorded" to better align with the film’s emotional atmosphere. The original score accompanying the film was composed by Batu Sener. On 22 November 2024, Williams released "Forbidden Road," a single from the soundtrack, which reached number 20 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.
The soundtrack album titled Better Man was launched on 27 December 2024. It entered the UK Albums Downloads Chart at number one and secured the fourth position on the UK Soundtrack Albums Chart as of 3 January 2025. After its physical release, it climbed to number one on the UK Albums Chart, marking Robbie Williams's fifteenth chart-topping album in the UK and equalling The Beatles’ record for most number one albums.
- Track listing
Chart Performance
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2025) | Highest position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 5 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI) | 69 |
Distribution
Better Man had its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and was subsequently shown at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2024. Additionally, it served as the opening film for the 55th International Film Festival of India on 20 November 2024.
The movie’s theatrical release occurred on 26 December 2024 in Australia via Roadshow Films and in the United Kingdom through Entertainment Film Distributors. In the United States, it received a limited release starting on 25 December under Paramount Pictures, followed by a broader rollout on 10 January 2025. Paramount intended to follow a traditional sleeper hit approach, expecting modest initial box office returns but anticipating growth fueled by positive word-of-mouth and subsequent home video sales, leveraging the film’s distinctive concept as a central marketing advantage.
Box office
Better Man earned $2 million across the United States and Canada, while accumulating $20.5 million from international markets—including $8.5 million in the United Kingdom and $3.3 million in Australia—resulting in a global total of $22.5 million.
In North America, the film initially saw a limited release spanning two weeks before expanding to 1,291 theaters with anticipated earnings of around $2 million. Its opening weekend brought in $1.1 million, which was insufficient to break into the top 10 at the box office. The film's modest performance was largely linked to Williams' limited fame within the US audience. According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie also struggled in Williams' home country, the UK, where it grossed less than smaller films such as The Brutalist, which made $1.38 million from 68 venues, and The Last Showgirl, which earned $1.53 million across 870 theaters.
Director Gracey recognized Williams' relative anonymity in North America and attempted to appeal to American viewers by depicting him as a primate character; however, this approach did not significantly enhance the film’s reception.
Commercial performance
After its release on DVD and digital platforms in April 2025, Better Man entered the UK DVD Chart at number 3 and reached number 8 on the UK Film Chart.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Better Man holds an approval rating of 89% with an average score of 7.4 out of 10, while Metacritic assigns it a score of 77. Audience polling by PostTrak revealed that 83% of viewers responded positively overall, with 63% indicating they would recommend the film.
Clint Worthington from RogerEbert.com awarded the film a perfect 4-star rating, commending its rhythm, musical numbers, and creative use of CGI to portray Williams as an ape. Michael Andor Brodeur of The Washington Post praised the "astonishingly expressive" CGI ape that narrates Williams’ story. Benjamin Lee from The Guardian gave it four stars, describing the film as "an unlikely but surprisingly engaging tale" and "a bananas gamble." Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times applauded its subtle depiction of Williams' flaws without resorting to hagiography or disparagement.
On the other hand, Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist assigned a C+ grade, criticizing the absence of a relatable human element and expressing a wish for a more grounded portrayal. Alan Zilberman from Spectrum Culture found the film repetitive in its depiction of Williams’ struggles with relapse. Kevin Maher at The Times dismissed it as self-important and shallow, citing an overuse of therapeutic jargon and narcissistic victimhood themes. Wendy Ide of The Guardian gave it four stars, appreciating its blend of self-mockery and humor despite following a conventional narrative.
Filmmakers Tim Fehlbaum and Drew Goddard included Better Man among their favorite films of 2024, with Fehlbaum describing it as one of the most original and outstanding music biopics ever produced. Additionally, late-night host Taylor Tomlinson dedicated a segment on her show After Midnight to lauding the movie.
Accolades
The track "Forbidden Road" received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. It was initially shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards but was disqualified after it was discovered that elements from another composition were incorporated. The movie’s sole Oscar nomination was for Best Visual Effects.
At the 2025 AACTA Awards, Better Man set a record by receiving sixteen nominations and winning nine awards, including Best Film. It garnered four nominations at the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Outstanding Animated Character, Compositing and Lighting, and Virtual Cinematography categories. Furthermore, it was nominated for Best Special Visual Effects at the 78th British Academy Film Awards.
External links
- Articles with short description
- American films of the 2020s
- Australian films from the 2020s
- British films released in the 2020s
- French films of the 2020s
- Chinese films produced in the 2020s
- Biographical films from the United States
- Musical films from the United States
- Australian biographical cinema
- Australian musical genre films
- British biographical cinema
- British musical genre films
- Chinese biographical cinema
- Chinese musical genre films
- French biographical cinema
- French musical genre films
- Biopics centered on musicians
- Biopics focused on vocalists
- English-language biographical productions
- Cinematic works addressing alcoholism
- Films depicting boy bands
- Cinematic portrayals of father–son dynamics
- Movies about singers
- Films exploring substance abuse themes
- Directed by Michael Gracey
- Set in Hertfordshire
- Set in London
- Set in Manchester
- Set in Staffordshire
- Period films set in the 1980s
- Period films set in the 1990s
- Period films set in the 2000s
- Filmed in Australia
- Filmed on location in London
- Filmed in Melbourne
- Motion capture technology usage in film
- Jukebox musicals on screen
- Paramount Pictures productions
- Roadshow Entertainment releases
- Robbie Williams-related works
- Take That-related works
- Shooting locations include Belgrade
- English-language French cinema
- English-language Chinese cinema
- Recipients of Best Film AACTA Award
- Roadshow Entertainment films