Bo Burnham, the American comedian who began his career on YouTube, released his first hour-long show, Words, Words, Words, in 2010 at the age of 20. The show was a success, lauded for its astute comedy and insightful songs. Three years later, his next show, What, premiered. This was my introduction to Burnham’s work, and I quickly became an admirer of his humor; his song “Repeat Stuff” remains a personal favorite. In 2016, he released his third show, Make Happy, which I found enjoyable, though I still preferred What. His fourth show, Inside, is the subject of this review. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its production deviated from Burnham’s initial vision. As he reveals in Inside, he had previously ceased touring due to onstage panic attacks. He planned a comeback at the beginning of 2020, but the pandemic intervened, leading him to create this show entirely within his home.
Bo Burnham took on every aspect of Inside. He filmed the entire show himself, employing inventive lighting techniques to create visually compelling stage-worthy sequences. The music acts as the narrative backbone, retaining the insightful and humorous qualities of his previous work, but with a darker undertone. The song Welcome to the Internet, embedded at the bottom of this review, exemplifies this. While catchy, it presents a disturbingly accurate portrayal of the internet’s less appealing aspects. Interspersed with the musical numbers, we see glimpses of Burnham testing lighting, setting up cameras, eating, and sleeping during his self-imposed isolation. As his beard and hair grow longer, the realization dawns that this is far from a conventional comedy special.
Inside gradually reveals a personal and vulnerable portrait. In the song I´m Turning 30, Burnham, clad only in underwear, sings about his impending 30th birthday and his intention to end his life at 40. Like his other songs, it’s initially catchy and engaging, until the unsettling lyrics register. Inside constantly shifts between humor, satire, and serious introspection. The show lacks a singular, overarching theme, except perhaps Bo Burnham’s own descent into a personal crisis.
In conclusion, Inside represents Bo Burnham’s most compelling work to date. The fact that he filmed, edited, wrote, and performed everything himself makes it all the more impressive. Bo Burnham: Inside is highly recommended for both longtime fans and newcomers, and I hope he will return to the stage in the near future.
