Half man stumbles in its own darkness

Richard Gadd's sophomore series, Half Man, begins with a brutal punch to the face. Over six hours, Jamie Bell's character Niall Kennedy endures repeated beatings at the hands of aggressive stepbrother Ruben Pallister, played by Gadd himself. The violence is relentless, punctuating a narrative that struggles to find direction.

A messy exploration of masculinity

On the surface, Half Man appears to be a bold examination of toxic masculinity, sexuality, and the prisons we impose upon ourselves. Set in 1980s Scotland, it follows Niall as a bullied, closeted teenager who leans on hyper-masculine Ruben to solve his problems. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Gadd's ambition far outweighs his execution.

The series relies heavily on its central conflict, with Niall's relationship with Ruben serving as a metaphor for wrestling with one's demons. While this allegory is buried beneath the melodrama, it never quite takes flight. By the time Niall's downfall reaches its inevitable conclusion, it's hard to muster much sympathy for his plight.

Ultimately, Half Man feels less like a character study and more like a vehicle for Gadd to work backward from a provocative ending. Despite its promising premise, the series fails to deliver a compelling narrative, instead descending into a cycle of violence and poor decision-making.