Richard Gadd’s new BBC drama Half Man is twisted and heartbreaking – I was awestruck

When Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer first aired two years ago, nobody could have expected the media furore that was about to come.

From bitter legal disputes to a ‘surreal’ Piers Morgan interview and Richard himself achieving global fame and numerous awards, the noise and chatter around the series was second to none.

So, when the 36-year-old announced that he had a new series coming out for the BBC called Half Man starring himself and Jamie Bell, I – like many others I imagine – really had no clue what to expect.

After producing something as honest and raw as Baby Reindeer, how could anyone expect to follow that Netflix juggernaut up without everybody instantly wondering whether this is also about him.

But, after watching all six episodes of Half Man, which is not based on Richard’s life, I can not only say that this series is well worth your time, it is further proof that Richard is one of TV’s freshest and most exciting voices working today.

Set in Glasgow across three decades, the series follows the volatile relationship between Ruben (Richard) and Niall (Jamie).

Beginning with a bizarre act of violence at Niall’s wedding, the six-part series flashes back and forth in time to explore their magnetic bond from when they were teenagers to adults.

About half way through the first episode, however, I wasn’t really sure what I was watching.

After seeing the opening wedding, we’re shown Ruben and Niall together at school with a strange, slightly homoerotic, dynamic and unspoken tension between them that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

But what unfolds over the course of the next five hours of television can all rather simply be described as just pure and utter drama – in the plainest and best sense.

Ruben and Niall’s fascinating dynamic, which is in equal parts hate, adoration and jealousy, is constantly shifting and changing as twists and turns come heavy and fast.

Exploring themes of toxic masculinity, trauma and brotherhood, I genuinely found myself switching sides between the pair of them a dozen times – going from hating them at one point to sympathising the next.

Richard’s wonderfully bizarre and honest method of storytelling really has this unique ability to immerse you into its world and not let you back out until the credits roll.

At times a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, but also a horrifically violent series, it never pins itself down to be one thing, which is what’s so refreshing.

From school bullying to feelings of alienation at university during a journey of self-discovery, it’s bewildering to think about what each of these characters go through.

And as well as each and every character having their own interesting plot, each scene bristles with a vivacious subtext and constantly shifting forces that are pushing and pulling each person into unwanted avenues.

Stuart Cambell, who plays the younger version of Ruben along with Mitchell Robertson as Niall (who are together dare I even say it better than Jamie and Richard) summed it up best at the Q+A for this screening when he said: ‘Every scene felt like a short film almost.’

At no point in this series did I ever feel like I was not totally absorbed by this twisted, yet at times beautiful, hamster wheel of action.

But while I may have been transfixed by this series, that is not to say that there are some incredibly dark moments that, at times, can feel too heavy.

Comparisons may also be made to the ongoing debate about the manosphere and male rage.

But what should really be focused on here, and what should be highlighted, isn’t a broad, preachy statement on society.

In Half Man, Richard has created two extraordinarily, never-endingly fascinating characters with a wonderfully interesting dynamic between them.

Banish the thought of Baby Reindeer for this series, this feels like just the start for Richard.

Half Man is available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer from April 24 with weekly releases on BBC One.

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