Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd’s ‘brave’ new project Half Man met with mixed reviews
Half Man was created and written by Richard Gadd (R), who plays Ruben, opposite Jamie Bell’s (L) Niall. (BBC/Mam Tor Productions/Sebastian Nevols)
After the success of Baby Reindeer, Emmy-award-winning Richard Gadd has returned with Half Man.
The BBC six-part TV drama was created and written by Gadd, who also stars in the show. It’s a highly anticipated series, following the critically acclaimed Baby Reindeer.
While Half Man is a departure from Baby Reindeer, the new show is said to maintain Gadd’s piercing perspectives on masculinity and dark thematics.
The show depicts the relationship of Ruben (Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell), two very different men who are united as blood brothers.
Half Man begins when Ruben shows up unannounced at Niall’s wedding. His unexpected appearance results in explosive violence.
The show then takes viewers back through 30 years in the lives of Ruben and Niall. In doing so, the show becomes a portrait of brotherhood, violence, and the intense fragility of male relationships.
What are the critics saying about Half Man?
With Gadd in the spotlight, critics have mixed views of Half Man. While some praise the Scottish star for his gritty take on masculinity, others say the show’s bleakness makes it hard to stick with.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show currently has a respectable 72% on the critics’ Tomatometer rating round-up.
The Guardian’s 5-star review of the show outlines the show as “brave, brutal, blazing TV.
“Half Man is a bleak and brilliant thing. It leaves you with that rare and precious feeling that everyone involved… as given us the very best of themselves.”
A review of the show on Roger Ebert declares the show is “like nothing else on television right now.
“The series isn’t flawless. There are dips in pacing here and there, and a few of the women characters could be better written. But the density and layered nature of the writing win the day.”
However, Empire gave the show three stars. The magazine’s review notes that the “specificity that made Baby Reindeer so effective — because, of course, it was based on truth — isn’t really present here.
“Much of what’s explored is hard-hitting and very much real, but the story devolves into a bit of a bleak-fest that makes it hard to really engage with it.”
Where to watch Half Man?
In the UK, Half Man premiered on BBC iPlayer on Friday (April 24).
In the US, the show premiered on HBO Max on Thursday (April 23).
Regardless of your streamer, Half Man‘s six episodes will be released weekly.
