Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)'s comments

Do you want to let us know what you think? Just login, after which you will be redirected back here and you can leave your comments.

Siskoid

A year of isolation in the making, Bo Burnham: Inside is a reflection of what we've all just been through, filtered through Bo's idiosyncratic comedy genius. He may just be filming it in one room of his house - no crew, no audience - but you'll recognize his stage show magic anyway. He sets up a lot of lighting effects, meta-commentary on his process, and uses a happy-sad approach that makes you question what's authentic and what's calculated, and whether there's a difference. It's like a high-end throwback to his teenage stuff on YouTube, and many of the songs are about the Internet experience, an ironic note on how our self-isolation started long before 2020. A lot of Inside shows - again, whether documentary or staging isn't always clear - Bo break down as the project gets longer and more involved, the testimonials gets darker, and the show reaches a potent crescendo. Make Happy was so good, it was hard to top. In reality, this kind of comedy special was perhaps inevitable, a different enough delivery vehicle that it's allowed to stand on its own and refreshes Bo's usual themes and techniques. On a personal note, as an improv player who's had to figure out how to present shows with no audience and make them work, Inside was incredibly relatable too.

2 years 11 months ago