Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd strikes New York audiences at the premiere of his new HBO/BBC limited series, Half Man.
Half Man is a fierce, character-driven drama that starts with Ruben (Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell) reuniting at Niall’s wedding. A bloody punch to the nose whizzes audiences back to the beginning of their story in the 1980s.
Painted against Scottish suburban life, a young and timid Niall faces bullying at school. When his mom’s girlfriend and life-partner’s son is released from juvenile detention, he learns he’s about to get a terrifying new roommate. Fearing the worst, what he doesn’t anticipate is a budding friendship and charismatic bond with his new, self-proclaimed savior, Ruben.
Ruben speaks with his fists; Niall doesn’t say much at all, but the two slowly open up to one another. Niall desperately needs confidence and protection, while Ruben’s unpredictability and short-fuse might cost him his freedom and his mom’s new-found respect.
Unsuspecting tenderness and sharp humor dance with engorged toxic masculinity, rebellious adolescence, and familial responsibility.
The take-away? Well, according to star, creator, executive producer Richard Gadd, “I don’t think life has a very clear message. I wouldn’t want my work to have one as well. I think my writing or my work is for people to take what they want from it. Therein lies the power of the work and it’s open to many different interpretations. I think people will find comfort in it in various different ways. And be disturbed by it in various different ways.”
Jamie Bell (Left) and Richard Gadd (Right) in ‘Half Man’. Photo courtesy of HBO PressRoom.
The dynamic between the pair can be summed up by their present day selves: after Ruben gives Niall a gusher of a bloody nose, he’ll be there to literally breathe him through his pain. One can only imagine the rest of the season will play out in mutual favor.
The pilot showcases astounding and deeply layered performances from co-stars Stuart Campbell (Young Ruben) and Mitchell Robertson (Young Niall). Chemistry between this unlikely pair is palpable through the screen.
“I just hope people can see this sort of unspoken connection between them in their younger years. I like you’ve got to earn the dark moments. You’ve got to earn where the two characters go,” said Campbell.
Stuart Campbell on Red Carpet Premiere of ‘Half Man’. Photo by The Knockturnal.
“I also really hope it makes us reconsider how we are with young men who might be acting out some of their pain in certain ways,” added Robertson. “And maybe it can make us think a little bit and reconsider how kind of we put our arms around them a little bit more.”
The deeply personal performances are further exemplified by the cinematic quality, which starts off simple and builds into more complex and longer tracking shots. This paints a stark reflection of Ruben and Niall’s developing relationship. Marked at the end with an epic shot of the pair confidently strutting into school to “Clever Trevor” by Ian Dury.
“We had on-set discussions where half the crew was like, I dont think this character should do that and how dare he do that, and I like that everybody in the room [has] takes on it,” said director Alexandra Brodski. “I love the openness of it.”
Half Man premieres Thursday, April 23 on HBO and Friday, April 24 on the BBC with new episodes unveiling weekly.
