What’s it about?

A biopic of one of the world’s largest rock stars with a twist – the part of Robbie Williams is played by a monkey. No, I’m not joking.

What did we think?

Long-time fans of Robbie Williams will know of his insecurities and belief that he’s always felt “unevolved” so won’t be surprised at the odd choice of having a primate replace the star on screen. As odd as it sounds it works. Yes, it’s occasionally jarring but the layers that Australian director Michael Gracey utilises more than compensate for the quirky presentation.

The big hits we know and love fit seamlessly into the emotional narrative and often feel as if they were written exclusively for that scene. And it’s emotion that drives this unusual piece. The early self-loathing, the drive fueled by not being enough and the love behind the relationships that he largely took for granted. For this isn’t a curated biopic to make the star look good – this is a warts-and-all admission featuring blunt honesty both through on-screen action and the WIlliams’ narration.

It’s refreshing, interesting and incredibly engaging and even features Robbie fighting his demons literally. Yes, I said literally. The biopic dovetails nicely with the Netflix documentary that focused primarily on his later life, with Better Man featuring mostly his early years and rise to fame. Fans will love it, non-fans might be bemused but there’s a lot to enjoy for them as well.