Better Man (2024)

Better Man reimagines one of Britain’s biggest pop superstars ever, Robbie Williams, as he sees himself: a monkey.

“Daring to substitute its marquee star with a VFX creation and somehow pulling it off, Better Man makes a monkey out of the traditional musical biopic, to thrilling effect,” says Rotten Tomatoes, where it has an 89% critics’ rating.

Directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), Better Man’s central character is played by Jonno Davies (Hunters, Kingsman: The Secret Service) and voiced by Williams. The motion capture is by Wētā Workshop and Wētā Digital, who created Caesar in Planet of the Apes and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2025 Oscars, Better Man was also up for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes, among other accolades.

Empire Magazine calls this “batshit music biopic … an absolute blast,” and “the biggest cinematic surprise of the year.”