Half Man (HBO) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

The absolute brutality of both emotion and violence are never more raw than in HBO’s limited series Half Man. Writer and star Richard Gadd follows the success of his debut project Baby Reindeer, with this six episode limited series that matches his prior work in intensity and disturbing content. There are no thematic connections between the two series, but the foreboding mood is familiar. 

Half Man features the story of two young men that are raised together as brothers. They meet as teenagers and are joined as family because of their mothers. The imbalance of the family power dynamic is clear in that one brother is extroverted, impulsive and always in control of a situation, where the other brother is anxious, closeted and constantly feeling inadequate. Half Man moves well beyond typical adolescent strife, though, and while it may start in a place of being relatable, Gadd doesn’t take long to establish the deep-seated and disturbing nature of the conflicts these two face. What starts as dealing with teen bullying or exploring sexuality, turns into unbridled violence and severe consequences.

An interesting aspect of the series is the non-linear structure. The audience gets teasers of the men as adults in the present day, and then each episode takes viewers back into a tumultuous chapter of their lives. The episodes, while about an hour in length, feel dense and like a full story is told. Gadd, as the older Ruben, and his counterpart Stuart Campbell (Rogue Heroes) as his younger self superbly act where they are believably the same person. Both possess the emotional range and subtly that is required for such a volatile character.  For all of Ruben’s ease of dominating a situation, his passion is both his greatest strength and his fatal flaw. It’s rare for a character to embody such potential for psychopathy and yet still be incredibly likeable. Both actors play the perfect foil to the character Naill played as an adult by Jamie Bell (Fantastic Four, Billy Elliot) and Mitchell Robinson (Curfew) as the adolescent. Where Ruben is strength and confidence, Naill is weakness and insecurity, and yet both men are not blameless in their fates and both seem to need each other in an unhealthy codependency. 

While this is a series that thrives on the edge of unpredictability and dramatic irony, audiences should be cautious to adhere to content warnings before watching. It’s not that the story is more violent than other television out there, but there is something about the rawness of emotion that creates in the viewer a true sense of unease and visceral discomfort. Be prepared, but know that Gadd will challenge his audience to question themes of manhood, personal responsibility and what makes someone a villain in someone else’s story. 

Rachel’s Rating: 8.5/10

HBO’s Half Man is an unflinching psychological drama that traces the destructive bond between two men whose lives become inseparable from adolescence into adulthood. The series combines shocking moments with emotionally charged storytelling, using its unsettling atmosphere to explore identity, accountability, and the blurred line between victim and perpetrator.