10 Best Comedy Specials Like Bo Burnham’s Inside

Stand-up comedian, actor, director, writer, and singer Bo Burnham captured some of the intense feelings around the pandemic in his absurdly hilarious comedy special titled Inside. Released on Netflix, Inside finds Burnham mainly dwelling on being in lockdown while introspecting about the internet, racism, white privilege, awkward video calls with his parents, and much more.

It definitely works as a conceptual special, continuing Burnham’s trend of incorporating music into his standup sets. His satire only seems more apt given the tumultuous chain of events that began in 2020, signaling the rise of a new form of post-pandemic comedy.

10 Make Happy (2016) – Available On Netflix

A follow-up to Bo Burnham’s what., Make Happy is another one of his musical comedy specials. Some of the themes that he covers in this one-hour special get fleshed out further in Inside, especially his observations on social media and an ironic lamentation on him being a straight, white male.

He also takes a lot of musical jabs at genres like hip-hop and country, while also mocking the lip-syncing segment of The Tonight Show. Towards the final act, Burnham engages in a memorable rant (inspired by Kanye West closing his Yeezus tour) releasing his frustration on anything and everything, from the audience members to the width of a Pringles can.

9 Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018) – Available On Netflix

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette isn’t just a fine example of witty self-deprecating humor, it also serves as a landmark work of storytelling. Instead of resorting to a formulaic method of delivering one joke after the other, Gadsby adopts an autobiographical course of recounting a linear story based on her experiences in childhood, college, and eventually her comedic career.

Nanette also finds Gadsby musing on her identity as a lesbian and a gender-nonconforming individual, ending with a rant on self-deprecating humor itself.  The special polarized audiences and started discussions on the very nature of the socio-personal nature of modern comedy.

8 Tim Minchin: So F*****g Rock Live (2008) – Available On Prime Video

A self-professed “comedic minstrel,” Tim Minchin is one of the popular names when it comes to musical comedy. Much like Bo Burnham, the Australian pianist has also released several original comedy albums to channel his everyday musings into catchy songs.

So F****** Rock Live is a live recording of Minchin’s 2008 performance at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. The special finds him performing songs from his albums Darkside, and So Rock. Along with brief segments of observational comedy, he plays songs with titles as varied as Peace Song for Palestine and If You Open Your Mind Too Much Your Brain Will Fall Out.

7 Tamborine (2018) – Available On Netflix

Tamborine was highly-anticipated at the time of its release for it marked Chris Rock’s standup comeback after a 10-year hiatus. Directed by Bo Burnham and featuring Rock in a self-reflective mood, Tamborine received rave reviews and even resulted in an extended cut.

While Rock takes time to talk about the American political climate and racism, he also gives fans a peek into his personal life. In some of the emotional segments, he ends up admitting to his history of adultery and owning up to his flaws. All in all, Tamborine plays out as a brutally honest work by a seasoned veteran in comedy.

6 Daniel Sloss: X (2019) – Available On HBO Now

Known for his delightfully dark brand of comedy, Daniel Sloss relies on his condescending and profane approach towards highlighting real-life issues in this acclaimed HBO Special.

Jokes aside, Sloss draws upon some traumatic incidents from a friend’s past to sensitively address the need of the hour. With social observations on masculinity, he also points out how the privileged should be using their privilege to do what’s necessary. Clocking at 88 minutes, X is a well-written and highly relevant special.

5 Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh (2018) – Available On Netflix

Before his Hollywood stardom, Adam Sandler started out as a comedian. And films like The Wedding Singer along with a few studio albums and his musical skits on Saturday Night Live all prove that he harbors a strong interest in music.

100% Fresh offers him a platform to display these skills, as he makes a significant stage comeback. From clubs to concert halls to even subway stations, Sandler performs his set of funny, emotional, and nostalgic songs. The special comes as a good break for fans of the actor who has released a slew of critically panned feature films.

4 Dana Carvey: Straight Male Ego (2016) – Available On Netflix

Dana Carvey’s Netflix special is a delight especially for older viewers, as the Emmy-winning Saturday Night Live alumnus breaks down his observations on his millennial kids and tech-savvy culture.

Given his age, Carvey’s routine is naturally different from his younger peers and that’s what makes Straight Male Ego all the more charming. And then, of course, Carvey has always been a skilled impressionist. Straight Male Ego is no exception, as it finds him impersonating Donald Trump, John Lennon, Adolf Hitler, and many more.

3 Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016) – Available On Peacock

As a part of his What Now tour, comedian and actor Kevin Hart starred in a dramatic special that plays out like a spy-thriller while segueing towards a conventional comedy performance. But this is no ordinary comedy routine, as Hart performs his stand-up in front of a massive crowd of 50,000 individuals at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

Along with a James Bond-inspired subplot, What Now is mostly focused on the Philadelphia show, as an ever-energetic Hart opens up about his misadventures in parenting and the changes he faced in life ever since he became a household name.

2 Reggie Watts: Spatial (2016) – Available On Netflix

In this amalgamation of experimental music and absurdist comedy, Reggie Watts plays around with surreal themes for a randomly improvised show on an LA soundstage.

The set finds Watts joking about guns and drugs, while performing music or beatboxing and rapping about dream sequences and short stories. In a nutshell, one can’t predict Watts’ next move, as he unleashes the peak of his creative potential in Spatial.

1 Vir Das: Outside In – The Lockdown Special (2020) – Available On Netflix

With the pandemic looming large and bringing a halt to comedy shows, Indian comedian Vir Das decided to engage in an online world tour from the comfort of his Mumbai residence.

The result is an amusing and wholesome virtual special that finds the humorist sharing his disappointment in these locked-down times, a feeling that’s shared unanimously by his audience. If anything, Outside In also points to the possibility of spaces like Zoom replacing comedy clubs for the foreseeable future.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
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Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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