At first glance, the film is a well-known biopic detailing the pop star's rise to fame and subsequent struggle with addiction, poor mental health and the gradual revival of his career.
However, this is no ordinary biopic - 50-year-old Robbie is presented as a CGI monkey throughout. Robbie himself voices the film, and actor Jono Davis is suited up to impersonate the rock and DJ star monkey.
He may be a true musical icon in the UK, but audiences in the States aren't as receptive - Robbie is more or less unknown overseas.
This is reflected in the film's disappointing box office there, which has so far earned just $1.1 million. This is especially disappointing considering the film was independently produced for about $110 million.
That hasn't dampened Robbie's enthusiasm for a sequel, however.
Speaking to Australian DJ Sean Brown, Robbie says: "There's so much that didn't work in the film.
"Just because we couldn't fit it in - not because I was shy or too embarrassed to include it...there's just a lot of stories. It was going to have to be a five-hour movie to fit everything in," he said, adding that he "hopes it turns out well and there's a Better Man 2."
The film may have disappointed financially, but those who have seen it are reacting more favourably - the film has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 180 critics rating it so far.
Tori Brazier, Metro's senior film reporter, gives Better Man 4.5 stars, praising the "unflinching writing" and describing it as appropriately "trite."
The film also boasts a 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers describing it as "heart-warming", "raw" and "honest" - including those who didn't even know who Robbie was.
Director Michael Gracie, who directed 2017's The Greatest Showman, explained his reasoning for turning Robbie Williams into a monkey.
"He literally sees himself as a performing monkey..and I thought, 'That would be amazing; I would love to watch that movie,'" he told Deadline in August.
Meanwhile, actor Jono Davis explained to Metro the ins and outs of donning a motion-capture suit to play Robbie Williams.
"It's not particularly flattering," he laughs about his ridiculous appearance on set.
On getting to know the man behind hits like "Angels," "Let Me Entertain You" and "Rudebox," Jono said, "He's so well documented in one part of his life, but you can't really see the man the way the press imagines him.
"I had so many questions and he was very responsive and gave me a lot of answers and that helped create a much more complete performance. | BGNES
