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Parents' Guide to

Bo Burnham: Inside

By Marty Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Unique comedy special discusses sex, depression, suicide.

TV Netflix Comedy 2021
Bo Burnham: Inside Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 12+

Based on 7 parent reviews

James Andrews
James Andrews Adult
July 9, 2021
age 14+

The best special on Netflix

INSIDE is a masterpiece. It describes Bo's struggles throughout the global pandemic and hits hard. It's made for mature audiences and has controversial topics that most kids won't get. But if you have children that are mature or have seen his stuff before this will be amazing. It has some adult themes but no really sexy stuff, there is one song about sexting but it's for humour and nothing really bad is described has some strong language but all is ok and most language they will hear at school anyway.
28snodine
28snodine Adult
March 3, 2022
age 13+
If I could give it more stars I would! What an incredible watch and listen. I have rewatched it multiple times and listen to the songs almost daily. It has so many important messages in it that are talked about in a way that young teens can understand and even resonate with. But it's also a great watch for adults. Bo Burnham did a wonderful job at describing loneliness, white privilege, aging and so much more. He talks about feeling like you haven't done enough in your life, owning up to problematic things you've done in your past and the issues with big corporations. I can't recommend this enough.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BO BURNHAM: INSIDE is the result of Burnham's year in pandemic quarantine, struggling to make a comedy special by himself in a very small studio space. Burnham's comedy balances observations about commonplace things like video messaging and brand taglines with more confessional material about depression and wanting to do good in the world, all in the form of a surging synth-pop lite opera.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (32 ):

Comedy specials typically tend to be fine-tuned and polished down to every fake ad-lib; Burnham's latest special is the culmination of his career to date exactly because it fails at perfection. Burnham began doing stand-up as a teenager and turned 30 while working on Bo Burnham: Inside in isolation during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. What begins as a collection of musical sketches about current events, the internet, and coping with quarantine slowly frays at the edges until giving way to an artistic exploration of the desperate need to perform. Burnham's earnestness can occasionally come off as self-indulgent, but his individual experience also represents a generation who grew up in a culture where everyone's every opinion needs to be broadcast on social media, and personal brand content often equals self-worth. Those who watch Inside strictly for the funny will absolutely find it, but the laughs come as part of something that is raw, challenging, and wholly unique.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about comedy. What types of comedy shows and movies do you typically watch? How is Bo Burnham: Inside different from those shows? How do things like stand-up and internet comedy show up in Inside? Is Burnham trying to say anything about comedy itself?

  • What were some things that helped you through the coronavirus pandemic? What is Burnham's experience in quarantine like? How does he draw on that experience for his jokes? How does his material change over the course of the film?

  • How does Burnham talk about mental health? How does his mental health inform his comedy? What other issues does he seem to struggle with throughout Inside? Why is it important for him to talk, and even joke, about them?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: May 30, 2021
  • Cast: Bo Burnham
  • Network: Netflix
  • Genre: Comedy
  • TV rating: TV-MA
  • Last updated: June 24, 2021

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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