Review: Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

“Well, well, look who’s inside again” is one of the many great lines present in Bo Burnham’s latest special, Inside. This special in particular is, one might say, special or different than the other ones he has done before due to him working on this one solely by himself, with no crew whatsoever. Inside directly depicts how one might have experienced the quarantine life from the start of the pandemic to the present day and it shows how fast things can “degrade” if one is left to their own devices in an enclosed space for long periods of time.

The special explores many aspects of quarantine in a very interesting and thought-provoking way. One example being the presence of the internet in the special which depicts how the internet has become some sort of place where we can take refuge, from the real world that we have become absent from. How we present ourselves on the internet is also shown here with the song White Woman Instagram, with clever tricks such as changing the aspect ratio of the special depending on how personal the lyrics are. Despite this, the song sort of feels like something that would come out in 2018 because that is where the stereotype mostly originates.

Bo also commented a lot on the social issues that are present nowadays such as big digital companies holding a monopoly on so many things we use. These commentaries somewhat show us how futile our individual efforts are in changing the world. This is especially prevalent in the ending of the song “All Eyes On Me” with Bo telling us that the world has already ended and we might as well just get inside.

One thing that piqued my interest is how he is very open with his uphill battle against mental illness that is clearly shown in the special. Through the songs, he delivers very clear concern regarding his role in the bigger picture of our world such as with what role does comedy have in our modern world? And is it even appropriate to “joke around” at times like these? He does not try to answer these questions, but he clearly succeeds in making us question ourselves.

Personally, the special is very honest and is very relatable to me because, just like Bo, the pandemic has not been kind to my mental health. Everything aside, Bo Burnham succeeds in making one of the most memorable pieces of content that depicts one’s life in quarantine in a fun and entertaining way with actual good songs, and witty dialogue that he all did by himself. Certainly, that is worth praising.

“Got it? Good, now get inside.”

-written by Kevin (kru’20)-