Half Man review: Richard Gadd's sophomore series is even more devastating than Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd's new series Half Man, premiering on Stan on 24 April, is a brutal exploration of toxic masculinity and co-dependent love. The show follows two men, Ruben and Niall, whose relationship spans decades from childhood in 1980s Glasgow to adulthood. Gadd plays adult Ruben, a hulking brute, while Jamie Bell portrays adult Niall, a struggling writer. The non-linear narrative shifts between a violent confrontation in a barn and flashbacks to their youth, where Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson play the younger versions. The series, directed by Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck, is produced by Mam Tor Productions for BBC. It tackles themes of abuse, sexuality, and self-destruction with unflinching honesty, similar to Gadd's previous work Baby Reindeer. The review praises the performances, particularly Bell and Robertson, and the editing by Rachel Erskine, Berny McGurk, and Ben McKinstrie. The finale is described as shattering and inevitable.