Netflix Documentary 'Robbie Williams' Divides Critics with its Reviews

2023-11-08 13:31:09

Robbie Williams Netflix Documentary Splits Critics In Reviews

Pop star Robbie Williams is the latest celebrity to get the Netflix documentary treatment, after his self-titled four-part series hit the streaming service on Wednesday.

It tells the story of how Robbie rose from being a 16-year-old boy from Stoke-on-Trent to become part of one of the UK’s biggest boy bands at the time, Take That.

Charting the highs and lows that followed – including his personal difficulties with his mental health, drug use, and stint in rehab – the series features never-before-seen personal archival footage to coincide with the 25th anniversary of his solo career.

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"It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry."

“It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Most likely, you will do neither. Fame’s psychological ill-effects are patently not funny, and Robbie Williams is more evidence that celebrity is an affliction and an addiction, which in turn leaves the series feeling like an opportunity to rubberneck at disaster.

“At the same time, Williams is so hard to empathize with. It turns out it’s surprisingly tricky to emotionally connect with someone when all you see is them – as this myopic documentary has proven to its own detriment.”

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"A persuasive account of the gulf between wealth and happiness."

“While Robbie Williams is undoubtedly a PR exercise (as, it should be said, most shows of its ilk are) there is enough texture in the patina to make it work. The glossy surface of the manufactured modern pop story, from Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran, is absent here.

“Robbie Williams combines titillation and pity as effectively as its namesake does braggadocio and vulnerability.”

"An insight into the human Robbie Williams"

“[...] This documentary gives an insight into the human Robbie Williams, rather than the entertainer we have grown up listening to over the years.

“Told in his own words, Williams controls the narrative of his life, which has been spoken about by millions for years. And while it’s dark, a difficult watch at times, it’s essential viewing to gain perspective on how fame and stardom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Robbie Williams is available to watch on Netflix now.

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