There is a lot of conversation to be had about the current state of cinema –– about the looming threat of AI in the film industry, or the sexual-textual politics of on-set intimacy coordinators, or really any number of issues currently plaguing the above-the-line Academy Award races. Or, the star power of monkeys.
Five mainstream releases from 2024 were focused, at least in part, on monkeys. First came “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” a blockbuster starring the ultimate CGI monkey. Then there was “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the latest installment in a decades-old cinematic universe centered around chimps. Theaters also saw the release of “Monkey Man,” a revenge thriller inspired by the legend of a Hindu deity who took on the form of half-monkey and half god. And one could never forget “Wicked,” whose animated anthropoids –– despite only appearing in the film’s final act –– were the subjects of a memorable metamorphosis.
And then there is “Better Man,” perhaps the most unusual film of the four. Directed by Michael Gracey, the showrunner of “The Greatest Showman,” the film is a cradle-to-stage musical biopic of singer Robbie Williams –– not to be confused with actor Robin Williams, “Blurred Lines” singer Robin Thicke or “Blurred Lines” singer Pharrell Williams.
Most American audiences already have no idea who the English superstar is. However, Gracey has thrown an even greater wrench, no pun intended, into things by replacing Williams with a CGI monkey. No joke, although it feels like the punchline to a very bad one –– “Better Man” is a traditional biopic with the small twist that its central character is an anthropomorphic chimp.
To make it even more confusing, the monkey itself is not diegetic to the story of “Better Man” –– his character is treated like a regular human, the monkey of it all only serving as a metaphor for public persona and performance. Williams himself has stated he often felt like he was being exploited to “perform like a monkey,” lacking control of his image and falling victim to the pressures of fame.
While the singer-songwriter does not provide the voice for his chimp character, he did record several of the songs on the soundtrack, and was heavily involved in Gracey’s creative decision-making process –– as the film’s opening voiceover explains, he does not see himself in a typical way, and so neither should audiences.
“Better Man” begins in Williams’ adolescence, highlighting a difficult relationship with his father as a source both of great unhappiness and of creative inspiration, before transitioning into his early career as part of the pop group Take That. Interspersed with song and dance, the film chronicles Williams’ struggles with addiction and an increasingly public-facing life. With a blend of real-world and fantasy sequences, all centered around a chimpanzee, Gracey presents a unique and fascinating approach to biopic storytelling.
Fascinating, too, is how the film itself has been received. Admittedly, it bombed at the box office, grossing $17.2 million against a $110 million budget, but “Better Man” has been the recipient of what are for the most part quite positive reviews and even snagged a nomination at the 96th Academy Awards. A below-the-line Visual Effects nod, yes, but a musical biopic about a CGI monkey even garnering any recognition where a traditional and lauded drama like “Challengers” was snubbed begs a greater question –– why don’t more movies don’t star CGI monkeys?
For better or for worse, the creative strides that “Better Man” takes do succeed in setting it apart from its peers. Imagine, then, if David Fincher had not just computer generated two Winklevii in “The Social Network” but also an ape –– he already seemed to view Mark Zuckerberg as an ape anyway. Or imagine a shirtless, bloody anthropomorphic monkey as Tyler Durden, a physical representation of the metaphor for anarchy central to “Fight Club.” Certainly Walt Whitman would approve of Robin Williams delivering “O Captain! My Captain!” in “Dead Poets Society” in the form of a chimp.
Moreover, it is worth noting that the unexpected prominence of monkeys in cinema does not extend to all CGI animals –– Barry Jenkins’ 2024 prequel to “The Lion King,” which of course starred CGI lions, was received to widely negative reviews, despite the Academy Award-winning auteur behind it. Yet for some inexplicable reason, CGI monkeys have become a central figure within the cinematic landscape.
Nor, judging from the 2025 slate, do they have any intention of leaving it. “The Monkey,” for one, has just arrived in theaters, a Stephen King adaptation starring –– surprise, surprise –– a monkey alongside Theo James. And of course, the winged monkeys will make their return in “Wicked: For Good” this November.
No doubt another feature or two will emerge on the release calendar as the year progresses. Because ultimately, awards and box office politics aside, a feature from an animated anthropoid will always make a film as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.
Read More
Tate McRae’s “So Close To What” is this close to pop perfection
By Fiona Goo | YesterdayTate McRae, 21-year old singer, songwriter and dancer, released her third studio album “So Close To What” a week ago.
Catching up with Christopher Kessenich of Arts Fishing Club
By Grace Traxler | 3 days agoThe Cavalier Daily sat down with Kessenich in advance of their upcoming show, discussing everything from touring and creative processes to the effect one’s hometown can have on their art.
The 9th annual Women Against Violence concert uplifts audiences
By Darya Bartol | 3 days agoThe audience in McLeod was electric Saturday evening as the Virginia Women’s Chorus hosted their 9th annual Women Against Violence concert.
