Half Man
HBO | Release Date: April 23, 2026
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
13
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
StatusBrian LowryApr 24, 2026
Season 1 Review: Gadd proves he’s not a one-trick pony (or reindeer), but “Half Man” never entirely takes flight. Read full review
60
The Travers TakePeter TraversApr 24, 2026
Season 1 Review: The acting is first-class even when this Richard Gadd series shifts catastrophically from shock value to misery porn and murder. Read full review
60
Radio TimesGareth McLeanApr 24, 2026
Season 1 Review: Half Man is both more ambitious and less accomplished than Baby Reindeer. Read full review
60
EmpireSophie ButcherApr 22, 2026
Season 1 Review: A show designed to sit in the gray of moral complexity, the central dynamic is compelling — though some incohesive narrative choices stop Half Man from reaching its full potential. Read full review
60
TimeJudy BermanApr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: I came out moved—devastated, really—but ambivalent about whether its payoff had been worth the pain. Read full review
55
The Daily BeastNick SchagerApr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: A slight and transparent tale of closeted torment and co-dependent craziness. Read full review
50
The PlaylistAlly JohnsonApr 24, 2026
Season 1 Review: Despite some strong writing and the undeniable energy between the two central performers, “Half Man” loses itself, succumbing to a tired necessity to evoke pain without justifying it. It’s misery for the sake of misery. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Roxana HadadiApr 23, 2026
Season 1 Review: Half Man is most provocatively compelling when it paints in shades of gray, when Ruben and Niall are young and their instincts are unclear to each other and to themselves. But as the miniseries exits adolescence, Half Man feels increasingly afraid of the messiness it initially embraced, and increasingly didactic. Read full review
42
IndieWireBen TraversApr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: Not only does “Half Man” end without attaining the same level of lived complexity as Gadd’s past work, but its conclusion also ensures the only way to read their story is as an allegory. They’re half-men who add up to even less. Read full review
40
The New York TimesMike HaleApr 22, 2026
Season 1 Review: Gadd has a knack for creating appealing, recognizably human side characters. But they can’t make up for the lack of substance at the center of “Half Man.” .... It’s probably not a good sign when the only people you care about in a show are the ones your hero mistreats. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergApr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: I can respect the lines Gadd is drawing between nature and nurture, destiny and self-determination, trauma and healing. I just can’t say I found the unveiling of those truths to be especially enjoyable or revelatory. Read full review
40
The TelegraphAnita Singh Apr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: Half Man is a weaker piece of work but, once again, it leaves a nasty taste. Read full review
40
The IndependentNick HiltonApr 21, 2026
Season 1 Review: It feels like a show in search of meaning, a plot looking for a story – and, frankly, it’s a huge misfire. Read full review
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