How do you unwind when you’ve had a rough day? Some people like to turn their brains off and watch YouTube videos until they get sleepy. Others turn to old episodes of comfort food television that never fail to make them feel better.
As for me, I’m a simple guy. When I’m feeling down, I turn to comedians to help turn my mood around. Are you in need of a quick pick-me-up, or maybe you just want to learn a few more wild jokes to entertain your friends? Either way, keep reading to discover the best Netflix stand-up shows for when you need a good laugh!
8
Bill Burr: Paper Tiger
Release Year
2019
Runtime
1 hour 7 minutes
I don’t always enjoy every joke, but I can’t help but love Bill Burr. As a middle-aged man, it’s fun to see him speak truth to power about a variety of social issues that we’re not supposed to talk about. But what often turned me away from Burr was his abrasive humor, which sometimes felt more like musing from an internet comment section than a veteran comedian. Interestingly, though, Paper Tiger is a departure from the old Burr that represents a major gamble on the comedian’s part.
You see, Burr is less openly angry and more introspective throughout this special. That doesn’t mean he isn’t still a bit cranky, and the softer side of Bill doesn’t keep some of his punchlines from hitting insanely hard. But what makes Paper Tiger pop is his uncanny ability to weave thoughtful reflection on his own life into new perspectives on issues facing millions of everyday Americans. I’ve always been partial to the idea of comedian as philosopher (or is it the other way around?), and in this special, Burr achieves this status by blurring the line between insight and hilarity.
7
Stavros Halkias: Fat Rascal
Release Year
2023
Runtime
55 minutes
Not really interested in comedians spouting philosophies and insights? Maybe you just want some gut-busting laughs about some seriously risque topics? In that case, look no further than Fat Rascal. Before watching this special, I only knew Stavros Halkias from his relentlessly funny posts on X (formerly Twitter). I tried to be optimistic, but I started watching this special quietly dreading the idea that he might be far less funny on the stage rather than on my phone.
To my surprise and delight, Halkias is more amusing in his stand-up routine than he ever was on social media. That’s because each of his raunchy jokes is laced with a personality that can only be described as pure charisma. I found myself giggling long before Halkias reached his punchlines because the overall vibe was less like listening to a pro comic’s set and more like listening to your best friend tell a crazy story. Before watching this special with any of your old friends, though, be warned: Halkias’ jokes have a distinctly raunchy edge destined to turn off anyone expecting more family-friendly humor.
6
Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything
Release Year
2020
Runtime
52 minutes
By now, you’ve probably learned something about my comedy tastes: namely, that I love when a familiar talent changes things up and finds an entirely different way to make us laugh. That’s basically what Patton Oswalt is doing in I Love Everything. Historically, the comedian’s gags have involved witty wordplay and deep dives into nerd culture. In this special, though, Oswalt’s humor is more observational as he discusses growing older, a topic that me and my graying beard really appreciate.
Accordingly, the special is full of observations about getting older. This includes anecdotes about his daughter, about house renovation, and (of course) about marriage. The jokes are certainly funny enough to recommend to those of any age. But if you’re like me and frequently alternate between dealing with back pain and dealing with the existential dread of aging, Oswalt’s newer, mellower brand of observational humor is weirdly comforting.
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5
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
Release Year
2023
Runtime
1 hour 9 minutes
Sometimes, the chief difficulty of getting your friends to watch a stand-up special is that they aren’t familiar with any of the comedians featured. If you’re dealing with that kind of scenario, it’s time to show them Selective Outrage, the gutsy special from Chris Rock. This comedian has been cracking everyone up for decades, making him the perfect performer for those craving a more familiar face.
Fortunately, the old comedian brought plenty of new material. This includes plenty of funny thoughts about Will Smith, the beloved Hollywood actor who made countless headlines for inexplicably slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards. The jokes themselves are fierce and funny, worthy of the gags that originally helped to make Rock a household name. Plus, if you followed the drama of that infamous Oscars slap (like me), there’s a certain cathartic joy at seeing Rock finally get to do what everyone wondered if he’d do: slap back.
4
Taylor Tomlinson: Have It All
Release Year
2024
Runtime
66 minutes
Taylor Tomlinson hit the professional comedy scene years ago and never stopped hustling. In addition to her killer standup tours (one of which was the highlight of my last trip to New Orleans) and hosting of the late, great show After Midnight, she has found the time to release several must-watch Netflix comedy specials. Have It All is her latest, and it is arguably her best–the result of a comedian who has had time to fine-tune her already-impeccable craft.
Even more than most of the performers on this list, Tomlinson is never afraid to turn the comedic lens on herself, including the religious background that gave her a very sheltered childhood. As such, Tomlinson’s punchlines take on a delightfully meta quality, with her analysis of her own neurotic repression serving as an incisive analysis of life in modern America. As far as stand-ups go, this is a Netflix show that tells a complete story.
Self-deprecating but never self-destructive, Tomlinson is comedy’s reigning queen, and Have It All is her way of giving back to every loyal subject who needs a good laugh.
3
Ali Wong: Single Lady
Release Year
2024
Runtime
59 minutes
Taylor Tomlinson may be the reigning queen of comedy, but she needs to watch out because Ali Wong is gunning for the throne. With even more specials than Tomlinson, Wong has been consistently raising the bar, both for herself and for stand-up at large. And in Single Lady, she successfully mines her own personal life for some forbidden humor that feels refreshingly transgressive in all the best ways.
For example, she isn’t afraid to dish about her divorce and about how it transformed her life. Rather than feeling like some kind of wronged woman, the comedian revels in how divorce actually transformed her life for the better. Additionally, Wong has great bits about the hilarious perils and pitfalls of dating later in life, including hooking up with younger men while hoping they aren’t too weirded out that she’s a mom. Everything ultimately feels raw and real, and each punchline carries the weight of a life lived unapologetically on her own terms.
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2
John Mulaney: Baby J
Release Year
2023
Runtime
1 hour 20 minutes
Do you shamelessly follow celebrity news like I do? If so, you know that John Mulaney had a seeming fall from grace during the pandemic. While the rest of us anxiously worried about masks and COVID vaccines, the comedian checked himself into rehab. It helped him turn his life around in some rather unexpected ways, and he soon got divorced, began dating Olivia Munn, and fathered a child with his new partner. I mention all of this messy drama for one reason: it forms the centerpiece of Baby J, his meditation on the time he spent in recent years both losing and finding himself.
Don’t worry, veteran comedian Mulaney finds a way to make even the bleakest details into unexpectedly hard-hitting punchlines. He certainly won over critics. For this special, he took home the coveted Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special Emmy. Like some of the other specials on the list, this special is a departure from the comedian’s usual material and style. That makes it all the funnier to us Mulaney fans who worried that all this real-life drama would dull the comedian’s edge. Rather, he’s sharper, funnier, and downright weirder than ever before.
1
Bo Burnham: Make Happy
Release Year
2016
Runtime
1 hour
Sorry, John Mulaney, but not all of us spent the pandemic completely reinventing our lives. If I’m being honest, I mostly spent mine playing video games and learning how to make memes with which to torment my friends. One person, however, didn’t reinvent his life so much as reinvent comedy itself. That person is Bo Burnham, whose comedy special Inside won him both a Peabody award and a Grammy. It also won him an entirely new legion of fans who had no idea how long Burnham had been perfecting his keen, comedic insights.
To appreciate Burnham’s journey as an artist, it’s important that you check out the earlier special Make Happy. This 2016 special is very different from Inside, so don’t go into it expecting more of the same. But “different” doesn’t mean “worse,” and Make Happy is like a buffet of Burnham delights. In this Netflix hidden gem, there’s a bit of the musical talent Burnham’s known for now. But there’s also the raunchiness that helped him break out, and plenty of introspection about what it means to get older, both as a person and as a performer.
Beyond the punchlines, it’s clear in this special that Burnham is worried about the future; life would eventually teach him the same thing it teaches all of us: things are going to get worse before they get better.
Everyone loves to laugh, but not all stand-ups are created equal. Ready for the best of the best? Each of the titles on this list will leave you grinning from ear to ear!
