INSIDE: Bo Burnham's Cleverly Cinematic And Incisive Comedy Special
Five years after his critically acclaimed special Make Happy, comedian Bo Burnham returns with INSIDE, a surprisingly cinematic comedy special with an incisive bite and emotional depth. After his breakout success as a writer/director with 2018’s darling Eighth Grade, Burnham continues to prove that he really is a jack of all trades, shouldering an entire 90-minute special on his delicate frame while baring his soul and crumbling psyche for laughs — and attention.
A new comedy special shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of the past year.
Here at Viddy Well — where we’re “Nothing. But. Movies.” — we don’t normally break protocol often. We have never reviewed a comedy special before — and we may not ever do it again — but we weren’t expecting to have such a lush, cinematic treat in Bo Burnham’s latest (literal) one-man-show, INSIDE, and we felt compelled to bang out a couple paragraphs about it. Plus, they’re our rules, and we can break them if we want (deal with it 😎)! But on the real, INSIDE feels much more like a gloriously scattershot film centered around overlapping themes than it does your standard comedy show. Sure, there’s a human standing/sitting with a microphone telling jokes, but in our opinion, INSIDE kinda puts the “special” in comedy special.
It’s personal, relatable, timely, hyperaware, gorgeous to look at, and above all: extremely hilarious. Even when the subject matter Burnham skewers with irony and observation is difficult to laugh at (perfectly embodied in his early musical number “Comedy,” with its hook “Should I be joking at a time like this?”), the laughs still come pretty easy in this 90-minute Netflix gem, which just might be one of the best films we’ve seen so far this year. Although, things aren’t all laughs here; there’s a surprisingly resonate emotional connection that Burnham forges through his material, which is bolstered by his composition, editing, and innovative lighting. The film is cathartic in multiple senses; you’ll laugh until you cry, and then you’ll cry for real, and then laugh more, and then cry again, and then laugh a lot more.
With subjects ranging from Burnham’s struggle with anxiety and his crumbling mental state whilst in quarantine to his egotistical narcissism, to broader topics like the sickness of the Internet, the decline of civilization, or White women’s Instagrams (amongst other things), INSIDE covers a lot of ground in its breezy runtime. Mostly, it’s a simultaneous lambast and celebration of the digital age (something Burnham was an early participant via his YouTube videos), which constantly competes for our attention and tends to bring out the worst in us, yet it also served as a form of connection for all of us in a time where human-to-human contact was ill-advised. Amidst all this, Burnham also comments on his own desire to be seen and adored, which he seems to have a love/hate relationship with; although, it’s extremely difficult to pull apart his performative fictions from his confessional honesties (something we rather admire about him).
Visually, Burnham assaults the senses in the best possible ways. Considering his limitation of being restricted to one room, he fills his film with beautifully inspired lighting and clever framing. He even pulls back the curtain in ways that show the seams of his solitary production, which strengthens its self-made aesthetics and his continuously crumbling mental state. Musically, INSIDE might be Burnham’s best yet. Every single song is as catchy as it is humorous — and there’s not a single dud in the whole lot. Best of all, Burnham manages to keep things from becoming repetitive or boring. It’s full of highs and lows, and while it gets progressively darker as it wears on, it always has a bit of levity on its side.
By the time Burnham gets to his climatic narcissistic anthem “All Eyes On Me,” you’ll have your fucking hands up and be dancing around your house (if you weren’t already). The film is so full of static shots (most of which have a slow creeping zoom to them) that any kind of camera move is surprising and exciting — and by the time Burnham grabs the camera during “All Eyes On Me,” it feels elating and triumphant. All in all, INSIDE is a delightful collection of songs and comedic bits that are very much deserving of your time and “eyes.” We think it’s one of the best films to come out this year, and we’re certainly hoping it catches a nomination or two come awards season.
Recommendation: If you love to laugh and cry — almost in the same breath — and appreciate cleverly cinematic visuals, Bo Burnham’s INSIDE is for you.
Rating: 4.5 innovative lighting set-ups outta 5.
Craving more of that content?! Click the links below:
Eighth Grade review
5 Fun Facts From The Eighth Grade Q&A
Full Eighth Grade Q&A (audio)
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!