Half Man – Review | HBO Series

HALF MAN on HBO Max is a co-production with the BBC. It’s a limited series with six powerful hourlong episodes. It comes from creator Richard Gadd, who previously gave us Baby Reindeer. His creations must be an actor’s dream with the amazing character-driven story. Read our full Half Man series review here!

HALF MAN is an HBO & BBC co-production coming to HBO Max. The limited series consists of six hour-long episodes and is a tour de force of complex and realistic character portrayals. Creator Richard Gadd co-stars with Jamie Bell, and the two are pure magic together, though for their characters, it’s more of a curse.

If you enjoyed the characters and wild escalation of events from Baby Reindeer, then you can expect to enjoy this new HBO Max release as well. Officially, this is simply a “drama” series, but it comes across much more like a psychological thriller. Not unlike Baby Reindeer, though this one gets much darker, scarier, and very violent!

All six episodes were watched for this review.

Continue reading our Half Man series review below. Start watching on HBO and HBO Max on April 23, 2026.

The definition of dysfunction

In Half Man, we get to witness two stepbrothers who feed off of each other in the worst ways possible. You know those relationships where people become the worst version of themselves? Whether through friendships, family, or a romantic relationship, some people are simply toxic for one another.

In the case of this new HBO & BBC co-production, stepbrothers Ruben (Richard Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell) are the definition of a dysfunctional relationship. Theirs is a love-hate relationship if ever I witnessed one. Often, it bends a lot before the inevitable breaking point, which tends to be one involving extreme violence in some way.

Despite not being related by blood, Niall and Ruben are brothers in the deepest sense. They adore and near-worship each other. When they aren’t trying to somehow sabotage one another, that is. And if you think you know who is good and who is bad, let me state very matter-of-factly that they both encompass everything.

Just in different ways. It’s mind over matter… except when it isn’t.

A Gorgeous Character Study

The story of Half Man begins on the day of Niall’s wedding, where Ruben shows up very unexpectedly. Niall is meek and mild-mannered, while Ruben is fierce, loyal, and often on edge. At the wedding, there is an obvious conflict that quickly escalates into violence.

To understand how the brothers ended here, we go back and see the first 30 years of their lives. Half Man may appear to be the story about one broken man, but you’ll see that both have encountered events and moments in life that have broken them.

Their lives and respective struggles are wildly different, but what they have in common is that they always cross paths at key moments in life. However, they are also apart for long periods of time.

Seeing Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell as the adult versions of Ruben and Niall is a gorgeous character study. One that is near-repeated by Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson as the young, teen versions of Ruben and Niall. These four actors are perfectly cast, and watching them breathe life into these eerily complex characters is a joy.

Also in the cast, and delivering breathtaking performances are Neve McIntosh, Marianne McIvor, Charlie De Melo, Bilal Hasna (3 Body Problem), Julie Cullen, Amy Manson (Bodies), and Anjli Mohindra. To name just a few. After all, these six episodes span three decades, so we encounter many characters. Several at more than one age.

Start watching Half Man on HBO Max

This mesmerizing limited series is an HBO & BBC co-production created by Emmy®-Winner Richard Gadd, who previously gave us the Netflix series Baby Reindeer. This time around, the series – as well as the character portrayed by Richard Gadd – is much darker.

Not only is Richard Gadd the star and creator, but he also wrote the whole thing and is an executive producer. The six episodes of this miniseries are directed by Alexandra Brodski (Somewhere Boy, Rivals) and Eshref Reybrouck (Undercover).

With weekly releases on HBO and HBO Max, it will leave you gasping on the edge of your seat. The finale will come on May 28, 2026, when the sixth episode is released. And yet, it is an actual finale. This is very much a limited series with a complete story of these characters. Just as Baby Reindeer was.

In addition to the U.S., HALF MAN will be available to stream on HBO Max in Latin America on April 24 and Europe on April 25. In the UK and Ireland, it will be released on April 24 on BBC iPlayer, with BBC One and BBC Scotland transmission following within the week.

Half Man premieres on HBO Max in the U.S. on April 23, 2026.

Details

Creator & Writer: Richard Gadd
Directors: Alexandra Brodski & Eshref Reybrouck
Cast: Richard Gadd, Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, Mitchell Robertson, Neve McIntosh, Marianne McIvor, Charlie De Melo, Bilal Hasna, Julie Cullen, Amy Manson, Anjli Mohindra, Tim Downie, Tom Andrews, Philippine Velge, Stuart McQuarrie, Sandy Batchelor, Piers Ewart, Scot Greenan, Charlotte Blackwood, Calum Manchip, Kate Robson-Stuart