Robbie Williams' unique biopic Better Man has landed a strong Rotten Tomatoes rating ahead of its UK release.
The film sees Robbie portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee (performed by Jonno Davies) with the singer himself providing the narration.
It's a strange artistic choice indeed but one which appears to have paid off judging by the critics' reactions.
Related: Robbie Williams explains why he's a chimpanzee in new biopic
Digital Spy's own Ian Sandwell gave the movie five stars and wrote: "A fantastic (and fantastical) spin on a classic rise-and-fall biopic where the fact that its subject is portrayed as a CGI chimpanzee – and everybody else is a human – is one of the least remarkable aspects of it."
Overall critics have found Better Man to be refreshingly open and honest, in a world that has been oversaturated by music biopics in recent years. Plus, it seems you get used to the chimp pretty quickly.
What to Read Next
Better Man hits UK cinemas on Boxing Day (Thursday, December 26), Below Digital Spy has rounded up what some of the top movie critics have had to say about Better Man.
Independent
"Turns out, it’s a little easier to cope with the hard facts of it all when they’re being relayed by an ape in a suit."
Empire Magazine
"The most batshit music biopic since Todd Haynes did the Karen Carpenter story with Barbie dolls, Michael Gracey pulls off the biggest cinematic surprise of the year. An absolute blast."
Slant Magazine
"Walking a dizzying line between the stupid and the profound, this exuberant, positively unique biopic is as hard to resist as it is to believe that it got made in the first place."
Related: Robbie Williams compares Better Man to "therapy"
Wall Street Journal
"Despite a couple of cute song-and-dance numbers, its conceit can’t cover for the deficiencies of a script that indulges all known showbiz clichés."
Variety
"Against all odds, that gimmick works, distinguishing the project from so many other cookie-cutter pop-star hagiographies."
Toronto Star
"Give the man points for honesty, but maybe deduct a couple for his soft spot for schmaltz... Ultimately, though, the primate-powered premise of Better Man injects a welcome dose of banana barminess into the well-worn celebrity saga."
Better Man is released in UK cinemas on December 26.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.
Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.
You can read more of her work on her Substack page.
