Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) Synopsis

Unable to leave his home, Burnham performs in a single room. He gives periodic updates about the time that has passed while he worked on the special, with his hair and beard growing throughout. After singing "Content" and satirizing white male comedians in "Comedy", he finds the motivation to begin making the special. He performs "FaceTime with My Mom (Tonight)", a song about the frustrations of FaceTiming his mother. He then sings "How the World Works" to teach children about nature, but the sock puppet he introduces begins to sing about various controversial topics, including historical genocide and worker exploitation, before criticizing Burnham for explaining the issues through his perspective.In a parody of a product brand consultant, Burnham talks about companies needing to perform moral virtues. He sings "White Woman's Instagram" about Instagram tropes. In a stand-up format, he questions the necessity of every individual voicing their opinions. Burnham records a reaction video to "Unpaid Intern", his brief song about the disposability of unpaid internships, but begins reacting to a multiplying loop of himself recording the reaction video. He then sings "Bezos I", which sarcastically praises Jeff Bezos.Burnham sings about sexting in a song of the same name before parodying a typical YouTuber's "thank-you" video while holding a knife. He performs "Look Who's Inside Again" and "Problematic", the latter addressing behavior from his past. He speaks to the viewer a few minutes before his 30th birthday, revealing that he had hoped to finish the special before this date; he then sings "30", in which he laments his aging. The song ends with him stating that he will commit suicide when he is 40, but he then urges viewers not to kill themselves despite confessing that he would do so if only temporary. This anti-suicide talk is projected onto his white T-shirt as he rewatches it several months later.After an intermission in which he cleans the camera, Burnham rhetorically asks the audience what they think of the special in "Don't Wanna Know". In a video game streamer parody, he plays a game that consists of himself crying in his room while his streamer self provides commentary. He then sings the ironically upbeat song "Shit" about a depressive episode, then describes being at an "All Time Low" in his mental health. In "Welcome to the Internet", he discusses the origins and changing nature of the internet, encouraging the viewer to engage with diverse types of content, some upbeat and some morbid. After admitting that he does not want to finish the special because then he will have nothing to distract him, he satirizes Bezos again in "Bezos II", then performs "That Funny Feeling", which describes a series of incongruous images and impending societal collapse. He attempts to talk to the viewer, but gets overwhelmed and strikes some equipment before breaking down in tears.In "All Eyes On Me", Burnham sings for a pre-recorded track of an audience; he reveals that he stepped away from live comedy five years prior because he began suffering severe panic attacks on stage, and that his mental health had improved enough by January 2020 for him to return before "the funniest thing happened". The song instructs the audience to get up and alternately hold their hands up and pray for him. Growing angry with the viewer, he picks up the camera and dances with it before dropping it on the ground.After going about normal morning activities and watching footage of the preceding scene on his laptop, Burnham says he is "done". A flashback shows him with a shorter hairstyle and beard, and he sings "Goodbye", in which he reflects on his life; the scene cuts back to his longer-haired, bearded self during the song, which incorporates several lyrics from previous songs. A montage shows Burnham setting up the room for each song from the special, before cutting to himself performing naked with a spotlight on him. After the song, he leaves the room in a white outfit, only to be locked out as an unseen audience applauds and then laughs at him for attempting to get back inside. Back in the room, he watches footage of this on his projector as the audience's laughter gets louder, and begins to smile.

Unable to leave his home, Burnham performs in a single room. He gives periodic updates about the time that has passed while he worked on the special, with his hair and beard growing throughout. After singing "Content" and satirizing white male comedians in "Comedy", he finds the motivation to begin making the special. He performs "FaceTime with My Mom (Tonight)", a song about the frustrations of FaceTiming his mother. He then sings "How the World Works" to teach children about nature, but the sock puppet he introduces begins to sing about various controversial topics, including historical genocide and worker exploitation, before criticizing Burnham for explaining the issues through his perspective.In a parody of a product brand consultant, Burnham talks about companies needing to perform moral virtues. He sings "White Woman's Instagram" about Instagram tropes. In a stand-up format, he questions the necessity of every individual voicing their opinions. Burnham records a reaction video to "Unpaid Intern", his brief song about the disposability of unpaid internships, but begins reacting to a multiplying loop of himself recording the reaction video. He then sings "Bezos I", which sarcastically praises Jeff Bezos.Burnham sings about sexting in a song of the same name before parodying a typical YouTuber's "thank-you" video while holding a knife. He performs "Look Who's Inside Again" and "Problematic", the latter addressing behavior from his past. He speaks to the viewer a few minutes before his 30th birthday, revealing that he had hoped to finish the special before this date; he then sings "30", in which he laments his aging. The song ends with him stating that he will commit suicide when he is 40, but he then urges viewers not to kill themselves despite confessing that he would do so if only temporary. This anti-suicide talk is projected onto his white T-shirt as he rewatches it several months later.After an intermission in which he cleans the camera, Burnham rhetorically asks the audience what they think of the special in "Don't Wanna Know". In a video game streamer parody, he plays a game that consists of himself crying in his room while his streamer self provides commentary. He then sings the ironically upbeat song "Shit" about a depressive episode, then describes being at an "All Time Low" in his mental health. In "Welcome to the Internet", he discusses the origins and changing nature of the internet, encouraging the viewer to engage with diverse types of content, some upbeat and some morbid. After admitting that he does not want to finish the special because then he will have nothing to distract him, he satirizes Bezos again in "Bezos II", then performs "That Funny Feeling", which describes a series of incongruous images and impending societal collapse. He attempts to talk to the viewer, but gets overwhelmed and strikes some equipment before breaking down in tears.In "All Eyes On Me", Burnham sings for a pre-recorded track of an audience; he reveals that he stepped away from live comedy five years prior because he began suffering severe panic attacks on stage, and that his mental health had improved enough by January 2020 for him to return before "the funniest thing happened". The song instructs the audience to get up and alternately hold their hands up and pray for him. Growing angry with the viewer, he picks up the camera and dances with it before dropping it on the ground.After going about normal morning activities and watching footage of the preceding scene on his laptop, Burnham says he is "done". A flashback shows him with a shorter hairstyle and beard, and he sings "Goodbye", in which he reflects on his life; the scene cuts back to his longer-haired, bearded self during the song, which incorporates several lyrics from previous songs. A montage shows Burnham setting up the room for each song from the special, before cutting to himself performing naked with a spotlight on him. After the song, he leaves the room in a white outfit, only to be locked out as an unseen audience applauds and then laughs at him for attempting to get back inside. Back in the room, he watches footage of this on his projector as the audience's laughter gets louder, and begins to smile.

Published Time: 2021-05-30 20:31:25