Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)
Rating - 15
Directed, written by and starring - Bo Burnham
Run time - 87 minutes
Bo Burnham: Inside is a 2021 musical comedy special released on Netflix. The feature-length special was written, produced, directed, edited, filmed, composed, and starring Bo Burnham. He made the entire special in his guest room at his house over the 2020/2021 COVID-19 pandemic. The main story is about Burnham trying to complete his special while being stuck in his own home, and how this isolation takes a toll on his mental health. The songs featured in the film vary in themes including social media, existentialism, the internet, mental health, and comedy itself.
Bo Burnham first came to prominence in 2006, when he started uploading his comedy songs to YouTube at the age of 16. Furthermore, he became the youngest person to have a Comedy Central special in 2009. He has had five stand up tours, three of which have been released as stand up specials: Words, Words, Words (2010), what. (2013) and Make Happy (2016). He also created and starred in the short-lived MTV sitcom Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous in 2013. During the Fake Happy tour in 2016, Burnham started to suffer panic attacks on stage which resulted in him being forced to cancel the rest of the tour and retire from performing live. Two years later, he wrote and directed the coming-of-age comedy-drama Eighth Grade, starring Elsie Fisher, which received mass critical acclaim and many accolades, including the Writers Guild of America award for Best Original Screenplay. Burnham also co-starred in the Carey Mulligan-led Oscar-winning movie Promising Young Woman (2020).
Numerous other TV shows and movies were made about the pandemic, some even from people's houses. The most similar of which being comedy TV series Staged, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, in which they depicted fictionalised versions of themselves rehearsing a play over Zoom and their struggles with the lockdown.
Inside was nominated 6 times at the 2021 Emmys and won Best Picture Editing and Best Writing for a Variety Special, and Best Musical Direction. It has also been submitted for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media award for 2022’s Grammy Awards.
It may be interpreted as a ‘comedy special’ from the outset, but sometimes it’s far from it considering the main topic of the film is depression, anxiety and the decay of his mental state. While consisting only in one room throughout, it can feel like a different environment for each song or scene. The filming techniques and editing can also make it feel more claustrophobic and isolating. The songs are awesome and catchy, and several made it into both the UK and US music charts. Inside is Bo Burnham’s first special in five years and it was certainly worth the wait. It is emotional, isolating, self-deprecating, hilarious, and way darker than anything he has ever previously created. How he has managed to create something so candid and honest and been able to blur the lines between comedy and drama is really fascinating. The craftsmanship of what has been previously described as ‘a work of art’ is exquisite and has to be one of the best creations to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, during what was (and currently still is) a rough patch for the performing arts industry.
Score - 10/10
Bo Burnham: Inside, along with his previous stand-up specials, what. (2013) and Make Happy (2016), are available to stream on Netflix.
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