Being Human 1994 - Ranking Every Robin Williams Movie
Is Being Human (1994) a good movie? Being Human is an ambitious but deeply flawed 1994 drama movie that explores one soul's journey across multiple lifetimes. While heavy studio interference and a frustratingly forced narration hold the film back, Robin Williams delivers a quiet, beautifully genuine 5-star performance. Ultimately, this famous box office bomb earns a surprisingly sentimental spot in our overall movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is Being Human About?
Being Human is a sprawling epic that follows one man’s soul (Robin Williams) across five different eras of human history. We watch him navigate life as a caveman trying to protect his family, a Roman slave watching his master fall apart, a medieval Scotsman tempted by forbidden love, a stranded Portuguese nobleman in Africa, and a modern-day man in New York trying to reconnect with his kids. It is a film about making mistakes, learning, and running into the same souls over and over again throughout time.
The film was directed by Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth. Despite its massive scope and $40 million budget, it was a legendary box office bomb, only making back about $5 million.
What Works: A Quiet, Human Performance
The absolute best part of this film is Robin Williams. When most people think of Williams, they think of manic energy and wild comedy, but it is important to remember that he was a Juilliard-trained actor first and foremost who loved taking massive artistic risks.
Here, he delivers one of his quietest, most genuine performances. He isn't flashy, and he isn't doing the "manic Robin" routine. He does an incredible job of playing completely different characters who all share the exact same soul. Despite the movie's flaws, the two-hour runtime flies by because you become deeply attached to these characters and the recognizable souls popping up in different timelines.
What Doesn't Work: The Studio's Butcher Job
Unfortunately, Being Human is a movie where you can physically feel the missing pieces. The studio reportedly hated director Bill Forsyth’s original cut, forcing him to chop out roughly 40 minutes of the film and slapping a bizarre, overly explanatory narration over the top.
This narration completely derails the tone. You’ll be watching a thoughtful, emotional story, and suddenly an overbearing narrator chimes in with vague platitudes. It feels like it was written by someone who just discovered philosophy and now thinks they are the Dalai Lama. The movie never fully delivers on its biggest ideas, and it feels like the studio didn't trust the audience to understand the film without spoon-feeding them the meaning.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) Robin Williams proves once again that he was an artist willing to take real risks. He grounds this massive, eras-spanning epic with a quiet, nuanced, and entirely human 5-star performance.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: When ranking this film, it lands right in the middle of the pack, sitting just below Moscow on the Hudson. It is messy, thoughtful, and unsure of itself—which, fittingly, feels pretty human. It is the exact kind of film that earns a 3-star rating, but gets a "heart" on Letterboxd.
Aladdin
The Fisher King
Good Morning Vietnam
The World According to Garp
Awakenings
Mrs. Doubtfire
Dead Poets Society
Hook
Moscow on the Hudson
Being Human ⭐
Toys
Popeye
FernGully
Club Paradise
Cadillac Man
Best of Times
The Survivors
FAQ: Being Human (1994) Movie
What is the movie Being Human (1994) about? The film follows a single human soul, played by Robin Williams, as it reincarnates across five distinct historical eras, making mistakes and learning what it means to be human.
Who directed Being Human? The film was directed by acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth.
Did Being Human (1994) bomb at the box office? Yes, the film was a massive commercial failure. It had an estimated budget of $40 million but only grossed around $5 million at the box office, largely causing it to vanish from existence.
Why does Being Human have narration? The studio was unhappy with the director's original cut, so they removed approximately 40 minutes of footage and forced the addition of a voiceover narration to explain the plot to the audience.
How does Robin Williams' performance in Being Human rank? In our review, Robin Williams earns a perfect 5-star score. He sets aside his usual manic comedy to deliver a quiet, subdued, and incredibly genuine dramatic performance across multiple lifetimes.
