Netflix has become one of the top streaming sites allowing fans to catch up on their favorite shows, watch movies on Friday nights, and have a good laugh. Not to mention, Netflix has also been doing a fantastic job of producing their own original films.
If you grew up watching television, you would remember comedy specials airing on Comedy Central. It was one of the only ways you would be able to watch your favorite comedians. This is no longer true as Netlfix now not only streams popular stand-ups but also has stand-up specials that are Netflix originals. IMDb has ranked the available stand-ups. Let's see who makes the cut.
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (8.2)
Dave Chappelle is a well-known comedian and Netflix premiered his stand-up special, Dave Chappelle: Equanimity in 2017. The special opens with the soothing and melodious voice of Roberta Flack singing "Killing Me Softly With His Song." Then Chappelle cuts in.
The special has a number of good jokes that had the audience roaring in laughter. One of his opening jokes involves a punchline that is impossible to make work, but Chappelle nails it. Chappelle interweaves comedy with the current societal topics of the projects, fake news, and LGBTQ issues.
Eddie Murphy: Delirious (8.2)
This stand-up special is a blast from the past and its available on Netflix. In 1983 HBO released the Tv special, Eddie Murphy: Delirious. The comedy special may be a bit of a surprise for fans who are used to the actor version of Murphy from his Dr. Dolittle days.
The comedy special was marked as being one of his more profane performances. It sill received a high approval rate by the audience. Murphy opens with a lewd joke about Mike Tyson. He addresses the relationship between ice cream trucks and children as well as racism and certain celebrities.
Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King (8.3)
This was the first filmed stan-up for comedian Hasan Minhaj that premiered on Netflix back in 2017. While it is a comedy special, Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming gained a lot of praise for its connection to the struggles of growing up with immigrant parents as well as racism and bullying.
Minhaj starts his special by taking a comical spin on being raised in a white neighborhood in California to Indian Muslim immigrant parents. He even addresses his struggles with racism and the after-effects of 9/11. He rounds it off with his experience of being replaced by a white date on prom night.
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (8.3)
Australian comedian, Hannah Gadsby developed and wrote the comedy special Hannah Gadsby: Nannette that premiered on Netflix in 2018. The special may be a bundle of laughs, but it's deeply rooted in the social injustices perpetrated against the LGBTQ community.
The special addresses the "straight white male," asking him to experience what marginalized individuals go through each day. There are the common self-deprecating jokes that comedy is known for, tied with real-life issues of marginalization and inequality among those who are not "straight."
Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way (8.4)
Bill Burr is a popular stand-up comedian, but he is an acquired taste as he has no problem telling his truth no matter the repercussions. The special, Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way was premiered in 2014 and was shot in black and white, which is unseen in comedy. Burr's voice isn't one you can forget, especially when he addresses the issue of childhood hugs.
Burr discusses a variety of topics including churches performing a form of brainwashing. He relates it to filling a jelly donut. Burr even takes a few jabs at the show Duck Dynasty and its popularity. Completely unapologetic, aggressive and authentic mannerisms make Burr a comedian that willingly makes your release all your pre-conceived inhibitions.
James Acaster: Repertoire (8.4)
Comedian James Acaster isn't necessarily a comedian that's trending on social media, but he ranks high for his stand-up James Acaster: Repertoire. The special is divided into four parts. He makes witty jokes like his favorite number being umpteen and joking that it sounds bi but it's only a teen. His episodes are titled by their particular topic.
The first, titled Recognize, involves the various bargaining techniques he's acquired and then shifts into his former dream of becoming an undercover cop. The second, titled Represent, entails his experience with jury duty but gets sidetracked by other small tales. The third, Reset, describes his emotions with failed shows or bad audiences. His final is Recap, which has its own complex structure.
Bo Burnham: Make Happy (8.4)
The starting point of Bo Burnham: Make Happy is interesting, to say the least. It's a skit of Burnham in mime makeup waking up in a hotel and then strolling through town to the show's location. Burnham's stand-up isn't straight-to-the-point jokes. He starts by rapping a song with strobe lights. It isn't meant to be your a-typical monolog.
Burnham uses a choreographed performance that involves music, lights and sound effects. The show takes various different routes ranging from race, the use of misdirection, and the effects of social media. He also jokes about trivial annoyances like the width of the Pringle can.
Daniel Sloss: Live Shows (8.5)
In 2018, Netflix released the stand up special Daniel Sloss: Live Shows. His comedy style is witty and finds the comical in dark topics. He jokes about having liberal parents and his inability to rebel as a teenager. Sloss opens his show by claiming that as a foreign comic, he can't stereotype Americans. He shifts into a stereotype that all Americans are fat. He claims it's not true, but when it's true it's, "f***ing impressive".
Sloss divulges in his personal experiences including his first sexual encounter that isn't what he expected. The special also has a second part titled, Jigsaw. He admits to the fact that his show can be titled as a dark comedy, but he can't help it.
Bo Burnham: What (8.5)
Bo Burnham takes the second-place slot with his special titled, What. The special premiered on Netflix in 2013. Much like his other performances, the show relies on the use of music, sound effect and prop comedy. Burnham starts his special by acting out a song he created including acting out prolonged eye contact with someone in the audience.
He goes on to use music to describe a crazy party experience he had in Hollywood. Which is actually short-lived and involved him going to sleep. He then proceeds to recount the first time his mother described homosexual relationships to him. Burnham's stand-up is a wild roller coaster of music, voice effects, and quick responses.
Luciano Mellera: Infantiloide (8.7)
IMDb ranks the stand-up special, Luciano Mellera: Infantiloide with an 8.7. it's not rare to see in comedy that comedians use their childhoods as a backdrop for their jokes. The comedy special is in Spanish, seeing as Mellera is an Argentinian comedian. If you take Bong Joon-ho's advice on subtitles, then there shouldn't be a problem. Mellera recounts his childhood experience and curses in Spanish just make things more comical.
He explains an incident where he accidentally ate a ravioli that fell on the floor and describes the cold sweat that ran down his back. He relates it to the feeling of using a public restroom and a drop of toilet water splashing into his pants. The Spanish euphemisms combined with descriptions of the turmoils of daily life makes for good stand-up.