Better Man (2024)

Robbie Williams narrates his life story, with the twist that he sees himself as a godless ape. It really shouldn't work, and yet, it's kind of a brilliant play that separates it from the tired musical biopic genre. The gimmick helps to sell the over the top life he's lived, and you honestly forget all about it once you're invested. It's also helpful that his story plays out like a real life Trainspotting. Clinically depressed and drug-addicted, we see his meteoric rise and fall as the "bad boy" of Take That into a floundering solo career. Is it self-serving? You bet. But there's a refreshing candidness and self-loathing behind all the glamour on screen which makes it richly compelling and deeply authentic. 

This is one of the best of 2024, in my opinion.

4 My Ways out of 5

Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire (1999)

Robbie (son of Rudolph) wants to become one of Santa's reindeer, so he must compete in the Reindeer Games, an Olympics-like event, to prove his worth. Blitzen tries to sabotage him, while Robbie has eyes on his girlfriend, Vixen.

Created by Richard Curtis and with a distinctive Aardman-esque claymation style, it's the first of three Christmas specials that aired on BBC One across 1999-2007.

3 sexy reindeer with tits out of 5

Note: This special was released both in its original British format, and also an American dub, weirdly enough. I was only able to find the original language version, so I can't comment on the quality of the latter, but I have listed the US voice cast alongside the UK version for consistency.