Yes—HDR is specifically meant for scenes whose brightness range exceeds what your camera sensor can capture in a single exposure.

If the background is very bright and the subject is much darker, one shot may either blow the highlights or leave the subject too dark. By taking multiple bracketed exposures, you can capture frames that hold detail in the bright background, the dark subject, and the tones in between, then combine them into one image.

The key is to shoot enough different exposures so all important areas are properly exposed in at least one frame. This can let you achieve a balanced result without using flash.

That said, HDR works best when the scene and subject stay still during the bracketed sequence. If your subject is moving, fill flash or other lighting may still be the better option.