Half Man

“Half Man,” as you probably can guess, is a bit of an endurance test. But it has a storytelling mightiness and an acting fury you can’t deny or ignore. It wrings you out, and leaves you in awe of all involved.

“Half Man” is an excellent but difficult watch. A viciousness runs through the narrative, and countless acts of violence depicted. For those who stick it out, the final episode features one of the most emotionally shattering scenes on television.

Half Man can be emotionally obliterating, and some of the particularly brutal sequences may permanently burn themselves into the viewer's brain. But the series is artful in its approach, avoiding using violence simply for the sake of shock value.

Gadd remains a first-rate talent; anything he does is worth watching. But it's hard to sit through this one.

I came out moved—devastated, really—but ambivalent about whether its payoff had been worth the pain.

Not only does “Half Man” end without attaining the same level of lived complexity as Gadd’s past work, but its conclusion also ensures the only way to read their story is as an allegory. They’re half-men who add up to even less.

It doesn't even take all six episodes for the story to become one-note, dull and tedious, even as it piles on innovative moments of torment for its characters.

Richard Gadd has done it again. 'Half Man" immerses the viewer in a twisted story about a toxic relationship between two stepbrothers who are seriously fixated on their perception of manhood. A very interesting exploration of masculinity that reveals several nuances. The protagonists are fascinating and complex; Gadd does a great job creating characters you can both hate and pity. This deserves several Emmys.

Richard Gadd established himself with his series “Baby Reindeer” (my review). For this role in his new series he gained 50+ pounds of muscle to play the older step brother whose bully relationship with his younger step brother forms the core of this series. The brother is played by Jamie Bell as the adult and Mitchell Robertson as a teen, while Stuart Campbell takes on Gadd’s younger self. The series spans 4 decades, examining the physically and emotionally violent complexity of their bond. A portion of my review from “Reindeer” applies here, “All of the performances are impressive and director Gadd tells the story bravely and sometimes disturbingly. It’s certainly challenging and frustrating…but it’s a unique and unforgettable story of mental health and how it can affect relationships.” Gadd has let almost every scene go on too long, which stresses the viewer’s endurance while dragging down the pace. This aspect, plus the vicious brutal relationship, makes for a difficult watch that only partially pays off. (Six 45-60 minute eps)

Some excellent performances from the actors don't redeem this show from incredibly stupid plot points, responses from characters that don't make sense beyond serving to advance the show's underlying masochism.

A load of unbelievable nonsense. Ridiculous plotline. Utterly unlikely behaviours. Impossible to swallow the illogical reactions of the supposedly genius main character. Nothing made sense. Avoid.

I stumbled onto Half Man blind - no prior knowledge of Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer, or the hype - and walked away baffled by who this show is even for. From the first episode, it's a relentless, uncritical platform for toxic masculinity, dressed up as "raw drama." The brothers' relationship isn't complex; it's a parade of coercion, violence, and emotional manipulation, framed with an almost admiring lens, as if the show expects us to find depth in their abuse. The acting? Jamie Bell and Richard Gadd commit, but the flashback casting is jarring - the young actors bear zero resemblance to their adult counterparts, breaking immersion instantly. The writing? A slog of misery porn, offering no insight, no redemption, just a grim parade of male rage.I can't fathom recommending this to anyone, let alone someone I know. Rarely do I rate a show this low, but Half Man earns every bit of that 2/10. Avoid.