SummaryThe Richard Gadd-created series centers on how the once close friendship between Ruben (Richard Gadd) and Niall (Jaime Bell) changed and became estranged 30 years later.
Created By:Richard Gadd
❮ Half Man
Season 1
Season Premiere:
2026
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.5
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Season Episodes
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
52% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
45% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Apr 23, 2026
100
“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.
Apr 21, 2026
90
“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.
Apr 22, 2026
82
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.
May 4, 2026
63
Gadd remains a first-rate talent; anything he does is worth watching. But it's hard to sit through this one.
Apr 21, 2026
60
I came out moved—devastated, really—but ambivalent about whether its payoff had been worth the pain.
Apr 21, 2026
42
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.
Apr 22, 2026
37
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.
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.5
83% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
May 29, 2026
10
Spectacular series. It deeply analyzed the relationship between male brothers who carry within them everything from traumas, addictions, disappointments, obsessions, bullying, the issue of homosexuality in the 80s/90s to true fraternal love. A punch in the gut straightforward and unfiltered. Brilliant performances by Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell. I loved it.
