It’s complicated.
The relationship, that is, between two “brothers” in “Half Man.” One is studious and bound for university. The other is feral and frightening. When they share a bedroom, one is afraid; the other is territorial.
As they age, their personalities shift and shock. The question that emerges: Do we stay the same throughout life, or do we morph?
Richard Gadd, the creator of “Baby Reindeer,” poses it repeatedly in his new, six-part series.
He also plays the older Ruben, a tough guy who looks like he’s headed for a mixed martial arts career. He doesn’t have the natural gifts Niall (Jamie Bell in the older years) does, but it’s an ever-shifting landscape that intrigues.
When a young Niall (beautifully played by Mitchell Robertson) discovers his mother is pairing with another woman, he has no idea that it will include the expansive Ruben (played in the younger years by Stuart Campbell) living in his room. He can’t lead the life he wants when one of the people who torments him at school is just an arm’s length away. The two reach an impasse of sorts, but there’s worth in the friendship.
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Flashing back and forth (which is difficult to embrace at times), Gadd’s story never lets the audience predict behavior. Indeed, it shifts so much it’s impossible to call one of the two a villain and the other a hero. Both exhibit signs. Episodes end with moments that will prompt questions and beliefs.
“Adolescence” had moments like this, too, but they didn’t upset the truth. “Half Man” wrings it out, then leaves it to dry.
While Gadd is physically threatening throughout his scenes, that could be because Bell is smaller.
Their younger counterparts are about the same height, which works to the story’s advantage. The size difference in adulthood shifts the narrative.
Gadd morphs in a flash; the change works. Bell is more predictable because his transitions build.
But to explain any of the motivation is to spoil “Half Man,” a drama that succeeds when it’s not foreshadowed.
Bell is remarkable as Niall — even when he doesn’t parallel Robertson. His character is more damaged than Gadd’s, but who’s to say that isn’t because he was traumatized as a teenager.
Like “Baby Reindeer,” “Half Man” prompts discussion. See it with someone you love, and you’ll be debating for hours.
Good isn’t always what it seems.
“Half Man” airs on HBO.
