After taking a break from comedy in 2016, Bo Burnham decided to make a comeback in 2020, and we all can guess why that didn't work out.
I don't know if it is just me, but all the good entertainment I consume leaves little impression on me at first and gradually grows on me considerably. This is what happened with Koe No Katachi and Kimi No Na wa, and now with Bo Burnham's new special Inside
Bo Burnham's name is not an unknown one. He has established his presence since the beginning of this digital era ever since he was very young. While taking a break from comedy in 2016 due to having panic attacks on stage, he has come back to stand up, while being confined within the walls of his apartment. I personally had heard of his name due to his massively watched content on youtube, but never got into it very much, and the fact that he was on a break for a long time didn't help either.
However his new project shows us of his genius. From the start Bo explains us how he made this special while stuck inside of his home due to the pandemic and the sole purpose of it was to keep him occupied during all of the free time he suddenly now had on his hands. Everything we see on this project is done solely by Bo himself, except some parts of post production.
The special has himself credited for the writing, direction and editing which is phenomenal in itself considering how it doesn't compromise in quality even for a second. Everything on this project seems like there is a whole bunch of crew and producers behind it, but its just Bo. That makes me want to respect the project in itself.
The project is pitched as a comedy special to the viewers which I would argue does some disservice to it. The film wouldn't necessary make you laugh throughout its entirety as much as it would keep you entertained and in awe of the things the man does in front of you. It is almost like a remarkably written one man show with exceptional musical pieces, glaring lights and social commentary. But at the same time I can understand calling it a comedy special considering Bo Burnham's identity.
While this is a highly praised special judging from the ratings given to it on various platforms, if you decide to go into it make sure you have an open mind for it and not expect your typical comedy special. As Burnham says during the first 10 mins of the show, it is kind of all over the place with no apparent flow to it. It moves from one topic to another quite abruptly.
But unarguably, the strongest point of the special is its music. Which was kind of necessary cause a very good chunk of it consists of songs made by Burnham on different social topics of the modern day. This project has a total of 20 songs which is a lot to say the least for a comedy special.
Not a single one of those songs are bad. All of them are straight up bangers. Adding on it the very clever and eye opening lyrics makes it a delight to watch the special again and again. The music is accompanied by some great and highly creative video shots and lighting which elevates the experience in itself. You can literally see the Bo controlling the lighting in midst of his performance through pedals and remote which was kind of a never before seen thing for me.
It is so hard to choose a favorite among the plethora of songs because all of them are so damn good. Just listening to it more than once makes you want to hum it all day long.
The special through a lot of its music delves into the modern world topics such as cancel culture, the internet as a whole, tropes followed on the internet, aging and a lot more. All in all it is a masterpiece and shows what true art is capable of. Cannot recommend enough.
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