Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"If you're gonna laugh, just do it on the inside, yeah?"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 21, 2025

Music biopics come in a variety of flavors but none taste quite like Better Man, a daring, dare I say bold exploration of inner turmoil realized through visual wizardry. Pop star Robbie Williams has been something of a c***, as he would spit out with a laugh. Whether it's narcissism, delusions of grandeur or an unadulterated addiction to bad boy fame, his controversies have far outpaced his accomplishments. Does that leave little room for redemption? Or empathy? These are the questions at the heart of Better Man, and it's perhaps Williams' lesser traits that make the simian-tinted biopic so emotional and emotionally fraught, a one-two punch that, god help me, actually works to the man's credit. I was shocked at the number of times I felt real, flooding compassion bubbling up in my chest and even more impressed at how effectively the film led me straight into a deeply profound reaction that included laughs, tears and all the joys experimental cinema has to offer.

"Who gives a f*** if you love it? What matters is that other people love you doing it."

"Who did I love when I was a kid? I loved Frank Sinatra and I love my dad and he's an entertainer. Shit, that's who I am, that feels good to me. I want to make the twelve-year-old at my nan's watching TV on a Saturday night feel safe. I want to make that same twelve-year-old feel safe on stage. I'm a f***ing entertainer. It might be cabaret, but it's world class cabaret, and I'm the f***ing best at it. F*** yourselves."

Based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, arguably one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Better Man charts Williams' childhood traumas, vast insecurities, mental health challenges, his quaint home and family upbringing, his emergence into the world of fame and stardom as a member of boy-band Take That, his stretch as a record-breaking solo artist, his tumble into addiction, and his return to the stage from the depths of his own failures. Directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is told from Williams' perspective, narration and all, leaving few stones unturned and unsullied. Better Man stars Jonno Davies, Adam Tucker and Carter J. Murphy as Williams, Steve Pemberton as his absentee father, Kate Mulvany as his dutiful mother, Alison Steadman as his god-love-er sweetheart of a grandmum, and Damon Herriman as Take That's band manager, along with Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Kayleigh McKnight, Jake Simmance, Liam Head, Jesse Hyde, Chase Vollenweider, Tom Budge, Leo Harvey-Elledge, Chris Gun, Frazer Hadfield, Leatham Blisand, Anthony Hayes and John O'May.

"Fame is so f***ing weird isn't it? It's like that uneasy feeling you get when they bring the cake out and the whole restaurant sings Happy Birthday to you and you can't wait until Happy Birthday stops being sung."

Oh yeah, and Williams is portrayed as a chimpanzee. It's startlingly genius too, bringing the internal feelings of otherness and worthlessness to the surface in such a visually striking manner (courtesy of WETA of course). No mention of ape-hood, no acknowledgement from the rest of the cast or the movie's world, no calling attention to it. Robbie simply makes it clear he's always felt different, ugly, unworthy, and all of those feelings manifest for us, the audience, as an unmistakable picture of separation and alienation. It should function as little more than a cheap gimmick. Instead, it cuts to the heart of Williams' inner turbulence and holds his worst feelings about himself on the surface, unwilling to allow for any glimpse into a man capable of loving himself or giving himself leave to be happy. Even when Williams is his most challenging -- rather than a passion for music, songwriting or his craft, Robbie's passion is for fame itself, something that registers with less than rootable regard -- that single visual reminds us, time and time again, just how much pain and rejection is at work inside of his head at all times.

"Now, for years people have rumored about my sexuality. The worst one was that all my gay friends have slept with me and said I was crap. I'm not bothered they said I slept with them. It's me being 'crap' I'm worried about."

If there's any difficulty in enjoying Better Man, which also features a half-dozen wildly entertaining, wholly inspired musical numbers, its prior knowledge of Williams' antics and bad-boy behavior. Pushing for attention is already frustrating when coming from a toddler or young child. Seeing a desperate grab at attention from an adult -- especially by any means necessary -- threatens to be annoying at best, revolting at worst. Robbie is a hard man to like. If early scenes of his childhood and later scenes with his family (particularly his grandmother) don't pluck your heartstrings, nothing else in Better Man will. That said, the honesty and openness of the film and of Williams' story really disarmed me, pushing aside what I didn't like about Robbie the man and pushing in on what I cared about: Robert, the little boy who hated himself, longed for his father's approval, strived to find himself through fame, and came to understand who he was only by nearly losing himself at the bottom of a very deep, very tattered, very well-scraped barrel.

Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Better Man features an excellent 2160p video presentation upscaled from the film's 2K source. But don't let the word "upscaled" frighten you away. Williams' biopic looks fantastic in all its gritty, grimy, grainy glory. Colors bloom and burst off the screen with Dolby Vision oomph, primaries pounce, black levels are deep and satisfying, and contrast leveling is dazzling. Musical numbers erupt spectacularly as well, shifting from more natural lifelike color schemes to bold, brazen pageantry oozing all manner of reds, blues and oranges. Skintones are convincing in both worlds -- on and off the stage -- as is shadow delineation, which brings even the darkest scenes (like Robbie's suicidal plunge into a lake) to life in the best way possible. Detail remains terrific throughout, despite the occasionally aggressive grain and the 2K source. Edges are crisp and clean throughout, closeups reveal a wealth of refined textures, and the chimp VFX is near-seamless (even more seamless, I'd argue, as the graininess of the image helps to conceal CG into the picture with less of an uncanny valley dip). Add to that a complete lack of blocking, compression unruliness or banding -- at least on the 4K disc, as a bit of exceedingly minor banding does show up in the 1080p standard Blu-ray included in the 2-disc set -- and you have a top notch presentation worthy of every ounce of praise one can heap on it.

Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Better Man sounds its best during its musical numbers but that by no means suggests that the rest of the film is at a disadvantage. Dialogue is intelligible and perfectly prioritized, but it's the surround channels working overtime that really make Paramount's Dolby Atmos track soar. Directionality is precise, particularly (and perhaps most surprisingly) in quieter scenes in Robbie's childhood home, and pans are silky smooth, making sequences like a song and dance number through the streets of a bustling city that much more chaotic and exciting. The immersiveness of the environments, from clubs to auditoriums to arenas, are impeccable and utterly convincing, while LFE output lends plenty of weight and heft to every element that calls for low-end support. In a word, Paramount's Atmos experience is outstanding.

Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Let Me Entertain You (HD, 32 minutes) - A half-hour behind the scenes doc that's worth watching.

• Monkey Business (HD, 15 minutes) - A fairly solid VFX featurette.

Better Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Better Man struck a chord with critics and audiences, and did well by me, who found it emotionally satisfying in all the right ways. Its central gimmick ends up not being a gimmick at all, working in ways you wouldn't expect to effective ends that are quite uncommon in a music biopic. Paramount's 4K Blu-ray release meanwhile features excellent video, superb Atmos audio and a pair of extras. I wish there was a lot more on the supplemental front but so it goes. This one comes recommended.