Bo Burnham: Inside

A longer review (on rewatch) on Bo Burnhams inside. It is very rambly:  Bo Burnham creates a perfect comedy special. Burnham explores social media, the corporate elite, sexting, modern day activism, and many more powerful themes that effect the humans we are today. Making audiences constantly question the human condition. Question our phones and the way we take information. Burnham lets the audience take a look into his experience. When watching this special it was my only attention. I couldn’t look away from the screen. Sitting in a dark room with headphones on made me think Burnham was speaking to me. Hearing and seeing the filmmaker go through everything on his mind was breathtaking and has truly changed me. Burnham also makes the viewer constantly think about their own perspective.  Burnham creates a wonderful technique of creating a statement then ripping it from under us. In the song “that’s how the world works”, it starts off with general positive ways in how the world works. Then socko gives a darker, realistic (nihilistic), interpretation of how the world works. The song could just end here. But it doesn’t. Burnham pushes the song further. He  questions socko and asks for more information for Socko to question him and  tell him to do research for himself and actually take an effort to partake in education/activism. Burnham scolds  Socko and finishes the song. The song initially seems to be a snarky way of teaching how the world works. With Burnham portraying the world in the way he views it. But the song drastically changes to a message about performative  activism and the sociopolitical climate we live in today. When watching this I constantly thought about the song and the impact it had. I agreed with everything Socko and Burnham said but I also questioned if I am the one he is making fun of. If I should grow and research into these issues without relying on the need for TikTok/Instagram. This project makes me want to change.Burnham does this throughout the special. Keeping the audience on their toes and making them look deep within.  I mean I don’t think I need to say it but. The camera work and music Burnham does in this film is breathtaking. He somehow makes a small room visually interesting for an hour and a half. The editing as well just perfectly executed for great jokes but also the fades at the end create this beautiful cinematic feeling.  Inside is weird to me. I never cared or even thought about Bo Burnham before Inside. But this masterpiece has changed me and kinda made me love cinema again. I’d say since I’ve seen the lighthouse was I last blown away by a project but Inside suprisingly does it.