A Complete Unknowngot most of the attention in terms of recently released musician biopics, butBetter Man’s streaming release means you really need to watch the unexpectedly great film. Hollywood has a long history with biopics that focus on all types of real people. That interest has led to many of them being based around musicians. This was no different in 2024, as Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Pharrell Williams, and Amy Winehouse are just a few musicians who got the biopic treatment. Several of them are even considered thebest music biopic moviesever.
However,Better Manwas also a music biopic that came out in 2024. While most people did not get a chance to see it until 2025 when its release expanded wide, Paramount did put it out in limited release at the end of 2024 to qualify for the Oscars.Better Manonly got one Oscar nomination, though, and lost. Judging by the movie’s box office receipts, most people did not take the time to see the biopic withRobbie Williams as a CGI monkey. As disappointing as that is, there’s now an easier way for everyone to seeBetter Man.
2024’s Robbie Williams Biopic, Better Man, Is Now Streaming On Paramount+
The Movie Has Made Its Streaming Debut
The timing ofBetter Man’s release on Paramount+is par for the course with how Paramount handles streaming debuts for new movies. The Robbie Williams biopic makes its streaming debut 60 days after its wide theatrical release. That gap between theaters and streaming is the same as the one that Paramount gave some of its biggest 2024 releases:Sonic the Hedgehog 3,Gladiator II, andA Quiet Place: Day One. While the movie was not connected to an existing IP like those other titles,Better Manis now just as readily available to watch.
Better Man Was Loved By Critics & Audiences Alike - Even Though It Bombed At The Box Office
The Box Office Results Didn’t Match The General Reception
The streaming release forBetter Manis arguably more important as it gives the movie a second opportunity to find an audience. That, sadly, did not happen during its theatrical run.Better Man’s box office dramatically underperformed from what was necessary, given its enormous budget. Despite costing $110 million to make, the movie only made $20.3 million at the box office. The results got so bad thatParamount stopped reporting box office figures after a month(viaExhibitor Relations). Considering how poorly the film was doing, the actual final box office tally is probably not much higher.
The box office might not have been kind to the movie, butBetter Manwas loved by almost everyonewho saw it. The film earned an 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and the audience score is even higher, 90%. To help put that into perspective,Better Man’s critic score on Rotten Tomatoes is higher thanA Complete Unknown(82%)and 2024’s other music biopics,Piece by Piece(83%),Bob Marley: One Love(43%), andBack in Black(35%). For whatever reason, audiences did not care to see the movie in theaters, no matter how much praise it got.
Better Man Is So Much Better Than Expected & Is Definitely Worth Watching
There Was A Lot Of Doubt In Better Man
Better Manalways looked like a tough sell to audiences. If you’re like me, you had no idea who Robbie Williams was and weren’t familiar with his music. The lack of an established relationship between him and audiences was problematic for its marketability. Add in the CGI monkey narrative framing, and the movie becomes very nontraditional for a genre that can often be arguably too familiar. And yet,Better Manis still an excellent movie. I couldn’t believe how much I liked it, and I bet most people would feel the same way if they gave it a chance.
Now that the movie is readily available from the comfort of homes to anyone with a Paramount+ subscription,Better Manis absolutely a movie worth checking out if you haven’t already. Even if you have, now is a great chance to rewatch it. It has a surprisingly emotional story, the song sequences are really fantastic, and the monkey element is cleverly used and not that distracting. After its box office failure,Better Manis deserving of some renewed appreciation and attention that can come from streaming.
