Better Man, the highly praised biopic about legendary British singer Robbie Williams, was released in Spanish cinemas on January 1 with high expectations. The film takes a bold risk by portraying Williams as a CGI-generated anthropomorphic chimpanzee, symbolizing his self-perception of being less evolved than his peers in the industry. While the movie has been a critical success, ranking as the fifth-best film of the year on Filmaffinity, it has faced severe financial failure, grossing only $12 million—just a fraction of its $110 million production cost.
The poor performance at the box office is mainly due to the lack of recognition of Robbie Williams in the U.S. While Williams is a beloved figure in Europe, he is virtually unknown in the United States. Furthermore, the similarity of his name to that of Hollywood icon Robin Williams has added confusion to his recognition.
This lack of awareness has directly affected Better Man’s box office performance, with the film only securing a single Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. It’s unfortunate that one of the best musical biopics in recent years has passed by without much commercial success.
Watch the Better Man trailer, full of music, emotional, comedic, and thrilling moments!
