Comedian Bo Burnham’s latest Netflix comedy special, Inside, is unpredictable in the most satisfying ways. Deeply relatable and self-aware, Burnham coats otherwise provocative topics with layers of irony and catchy musical numbers.
In 2016, Burnham disappeared from the comedy scene after suffering multiple panic attacks on stage. It wasn’t until January 2020 that he began to consider performing again, and then, as he puts it in Inside, “The funniest thing happened…”
Offering an enthralling take on the pandemic-stricken world, Burnham’s raw commentary on mental health provides an intimate dive into his personal struggles and spurs reflection on our time spent Inside over the last 16 months.
Rather than filming and performing on a stage, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Inside was filmed and performed solely by Burnham in a tiny room. The live audience is replaced with a camera and the viewer is left to suffer in intimate isolation with the comedian and his equipment.
Burnham is known for combining music and comedy ever since his first tracks blew up on YouTube in 2006. Inside stays true to this style but features a somewhat darker repertoire of musical numbers, consisting of 20 songs. He includes a multitude of genres, ranging from 80s electronic to campfire folk, and breaks the songs up with several short skits and brief commentary. All the songs from the special can also be found on streaming platforms in an album of the same name.
Burnham also makes the creation of the special a part of the special itself which contributes to the invasiveness of the film. He includes clips of even the most mundane work, such as tweaking the lighting, editing his own songs and simply staring into space.
Ironically, these scenes abruptly remind the audience that we are presently consuming Burnham’s content while also laughing along with him as he ridicules our relationship with content consumption.
Though it’s easy to focus on Burnham’s clever lyrics, the quality of these numbers and his talent as a musician cannot be overlooked. His background in theatre, lovely voice and musical intuition adds to the effectiveness of each original song.
Though his songs are unpredictable, the underlying theme of “content” is apparent. Burnham puts YouTubers, social media consultants and former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in the hot seat. Underlying commentary on society’s mindless consumption of online content is found in almost every song.
In one musical number titled “Welcome to the Internet”, Burnham sings from the perspective of a maniacal content creator. He ridicules the way we misuse the internet as a form of escapism and constant distraction with lyrics such as “Apathy’s a tragedy and boredom is a crime,” and “Can I interest you in everything all the time?”
Comedians are known to cover difficult topics with a layer of humor. As Ricky Gervais pointed out in his special Ricky Gervais: Humanity, “If you can laugh in the face of adversity, you’re bulletproof.” Burnham takes this a step further with his approach; he wraps this sensitive subject matter in catchy, easily digestible tracks. This combination of comedy and music is comforting and allows for some weight to be taken off of difficult topics without watering them down.
Although the purpose of comedy is often comic relief, the audience of Inside needs comic relief to distract from the harshness of the special itself. To help with this, Burnham contrasts scenes depicting the silence and mental anguish of isolation with colorful, flashy performances.
Although it’s difficult to offer any negative feedback on Inside, one theme that may confuse audiences is the portrayal of Burnham actually living in the tiny room he films in. It has been revealed that the special was actually filmed in Burnham’s guest house, not his primary residence.
It does become apparent in the special that Burnham is trapped inside of existence itself, rather than the physical location. The tiny room is used to instill a claustrophobic effect. However, the fact that the room is just a set takes away from the intimacy of the special and the rawness of it is diluted.
Flaws aside, Inside is ingenious. Burnham confronts his own mental illnesses and broader societal illnesses in an accessible yet provocative way. Every viewer will get something different out of the film, while simultaneously feeling personally called out in more ways than one.
Although the pandemic clearly took a toll on Burnham—as it did on many of us—if there’s one thing we all have to be grateful for, ironically it’s the high quality content that was produced as a by-product of this global disaster.
Featured image from Netflix.
