Polygon.com / 11.01.25

Don't think of Better Man as a music biopic it's a must-see fantasy spectacle

For American audiences, at least, the movie musical Better Man is a fairly hard sell. Its an odd-sounding project  a music biopic with the leading man replaced by a CG chimp, built around the career of an international superstar and former boy-band member whos never really broken through in the States. Americans dont share the rest of the worlds fascination with pop singer Robbie Williams, in spite of his 14 chart-topping albums, regular presence in U.K. tabloids, and cheeky, viral-friendly music videos. (Note: 107 million views on that video alone, and it isnt even close to his most-viewed hit, Angels.) So the idea of a biopic might not have any instant appeal for U.S. viewers, even with that ape protagonist gimmick adding some intrigue. But while the movie is drawn from Williams life, its still better to think of it as a fantasy feature. Director Michael Gracey previously turned P.T. Barnums career into the rousing, ultra-popular musical movie The Greatest Showman, while glossing o...
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