If you have been on social media at all this week, there’s a very good chance you will have seen a viral clip from one of the year’s very best film scenes. And we aren’t talking about that moment from Challengers where we get the tennis ball’s POV set to the beats of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Nor are we referencing the brilliant notes app scene from Hit Man, which is masterfully directed and performed, sizzling with chemistry.
What’s been dominating the internet this week is a one minute clip of a CGI monkey dancing down a London high street whilst singing the hit pop song ‘Rock DJ’ – yes, really. And trust us when we say it is easily one of the stand-out scenes of 2024, captivating us with its dynamic energy and incredible choreography, which is all captured in a sleek, single shot.
Big Screen Spotlight
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Right now you may be thinking ‘what the hell is this movie?’ and you would be right in doing so. The premise, quite frankly, is bonkers. Better Man is a biographical musical drama that tells the story of British pop star Robbie Williams with a twist – he’s portrayed in the film by a CGI monkey. Look, we did warn you that it was bananas…
It absolutely shouldn’t work at all, but somehow does on every single level, with each bold choice it makes being a triumph, deservedly earning rave reviews. Of course, there’s no doubt that it’s completely unhinged, but it’s also emotional, tender, transcendent, and incredibly human, featuring an incredible lead performance from actor Jonno Davies via motion capture. You genuinely forget within minutes that our star here is a CGI monkey.
But why a monkey? It’s an important question and one that has a surprisingly simple answer. Singer Williams has always been open about the fact he feels less evolved than others, only existing as a performing monkey – both on stage and in life. When director Michael Gracey, who previously helmed The Greatest Showman, started work on Better Man then, having Williams be portrayed as a monkey just felt right. It certainly was a risky move though but one that ultimately paid off, with Better Man being a refreshingly electric biopic like no other. A new bar has been set.
“It’s time to move your body”
There are plenty of exemplary moments in this remarkable film, from the intoxicating Knebworth gig to a more intimate episode shared between Williams and his loving gran Betty, who is beautifully portrayed by Gavin & Stacey’s Alison Steadman. But if there’s only one scene you will remember from Better Man it is indeed the ‘Rock DJ’ performance. Look, it went viral for good reason.
As reported by Variety, London’s busy Regent Street was shut down for four consecutive nights so 500 extras, alongside a CGI monkey of course, could dance to the pop hit for the exciting set piece. And if that wasn’t hard enough already to pull off, the shoot was halted as Queen Elizabeth II died during rehearsals only days before they were due to film, with the delays of several months losing the studio millions of dollars. Refusing to shoot elsewhere or on a green screen, the filmmakers decided to wait until Regent Street was available to use again, wanting it to be as real as possible.
But it was more than worth the wait, with the result being a sheer spectacle from start to end. Even that one minute clip from the scene that has been released online has more impressive choreography and visuals than this year’s hit musical Wicked – and I say that as a huge fan of Jon M. Chu’s bewitching tale.
The filmmakers masterfully piece together takes to create the illusion of a single shot, with the camera dynamically moving between pedestrians, flying clothes rails, and London black cabs to follow Williams, alongside the other members of Take That, as they perform the energetic musical number. It’s genuinely impossible to take your eyes off the screen. And, look, I won’t hear any complaints about the fact Take That are there when ‘Rock DJ’ was actually released as a Williams solo number, when the scene is this good.
Admittedly, when I watched Better Man at a preview screening a few months ago, I went in unsure what to expect, doubting whether the bizarre premise would actually work. And I’m more than happy to have been proven wrong, with this scene alone doing just that. “When’s it going to stop, DJ?” Hopefully never.
Better Man releases in the US on Christmas Day, before hitting UK shores on Boxing Day. For more on what to watch, check out the rest of our Big Screen Spotlight series.