The 10 must-see comedy specials from the latest crop on platforms

BarcelonaA turbulent world, a disturbing comedy. ARA selects ten shows available on streaming platforms featuring the most irreverent and inventive monologues, capable of testing viewers' resistance to provocations and jokes.

The king of dark humor celebrates twenty years on stage with this special filmed in Milwaukee where he explodes the usual taboos: pedophilia, humor about transgender people, the deaths of children... traversing a rope suspended over the abyss with millimetric precision, he details gruesome and macabre situations in an absolutely serious manner, while simultaneously conveying that the goal is not a cheap joke, but rather a reflection on what we dare to say or even think. Amid the provocations, which are sharp but nevertheless already familiar to his followers, there are some autobiographical stories about his two decades in the business that are all the more refreshing, because they are new.

The co-star of Hacks He is one of the emerging names in American comedy and in this comedy special he exploits his stage magnetism with a series of stories that serve as a portrait of contemporary Los Angeles: the audiovisual business, recreational drugs, coffee shops posh, pride in neurodivergences... The show begins with a semi-musical number in which Einbinder explains how her parents wanted a boy and, despite resorting to fertility, in vitroThe genetic selection didn't quite work out. The comedian uses this anecdote to demonstrate that she's used to swimming against the majority, whether it's male sperm or the men who dominate the professional comedy scene. Everything must go It relies too heavily on stage effects that go against the proximity that the protagonist could generate, but the show is intelligently written and takes on the challenge of creating humor in support of worthy causes.

Although Andrew Schulz often crosses the line of exploiting misogynistic tropes or racial stereotypes – some include him in the so-called manosphere that vindicates classic masculinity, his latest Netflix special shows him with more layers of complexity than those who would like to reduce him to a cliché claim. His personal account of conceiving his first daughter through artificial insemination in vitro It's both tender and funny. And yes, there are some clichés that come dangerously close to politically incorrect, sarcastic humor, but Schulz fires at them with great skill and precision, highlighting that the primary objective isn't to denigrate anyone, but to make people laugh, even if it's a guilty laugh aggravated by the fact that it's delivered from a position of white privilege. In any case, the story is hilarious, and he himself ends up being the butt of most of the jokes, for a story that crowns with a tear-jerking, emotional ending. Watch it alone, without admitting in public that you've laughed at its harshness.

Known for playing grumpy footballer Roy Kent in the series Ted LassoLondon-based actor Brett Goldstein tries his luck in the world ofstand-up With this first special, recorded in New Jersey for the Max platform, the British actor plays the card ofexpado, who doesn't quite understand the straightforward American way of doing things. Over the course of an hour, Goldstein practices situational and costumbral humor, while recounting anecdotes such as a visit to the White House or appearing in an episode of Sesame StreetTrue to the cliché—everyone says he's a wonderful person, unlike the character that made him famous—his comedy is also relaxed and easygoing. The jokes aren't particularly groundbreaking, nor do they touch on any particularly sensitive issues—he even jokes about dodging landmines—they have just the right amount of self-deprecation, but without going overboard, and at the end of the show, you're left with the feeling of having spent an hour with the most popular guy in the group.

Television presenter, actress, comedian, and host of the recent Golden Globes, Nikki Glaser premiered her second comedy special last year, which can be seen on Max. Someday you'll die is centered on her decision not to have children. From this premise, she reflects on whether it's more selfish to have them or not and, in any case, claims to be able to escape the social pressure to perpetuate the species. Her monologue uses this common thread to discuss diverse topics, from harassment to sexual violence within families or how easy it is to be a bad mother: "As easy as being a great father," she ironically discusses the asymmetry of demands placed on some and others. Beyond, however, the comedy about sexuality and motherhood, Glaser manages to convey, despite the jovial and combative tone of her performance as an empowered woman, a more existentialist undercurrent of reflection, when she accepts that she will have no one to care for her when she grows up and suicide will probably be the most viable option for a dignified end.

Bill Burr has circumvented polarization by the simple method of placing himself in the crosshairs of both conservatives and progressives, by mocking them equally. His humor is an anti-botherer of social commentary, and calling a spade a spade has brought him into more than one controversy. However, in his latest special, he sidesteps the more political issues and instead reflects on being a white man in his fifties. drop dead years to which the title refers, the years in which dropping dead at any moment from a heart-stopping sob is considered more plausible than a mere statistical anomaly. In this special, Burr explains how he's managed to quell some of his inner demons, after discovering that, as a heterosexual man, he could have more feelings than just being "okay" or "angry"; and how this has resulted in a better relationship with his wife. He's still the same caustic, sarcastic comedian he always was, but the addition of very specific moments of tenderness gives it breadth and a richer range of colors, making the show one of the best stand-up comedy shows that is now considered the elite of American stand-up comedy.

Although he already has a new show (which is also excellent) Lean cows), it was not until this July that High flips has been included in the 3Cat catalogue, thus increasing the chances of reaching many more viewers. The most gifted student of the new Catalan comedy scene rebels against the false modesty that often permeates Catalanism and points to the riots in Plaza Urquinaona following the Trial ruling as the high point of Catalanism, when it went from the imposter syndrome of not knowing where it was going to the one it was going to with its spouse. "This is comedy, not a care workshop," Sarrats warns at the beginning of the show, also making it clear that criticism begins with oneself, as when he ironically says that his "theatrical radicalism is nothing more than equidistance and immobility, but it goes very well for collecting from the Corpo and Godó at the same time." Pure energy on stage, he makes good one of the lines in the text, speaking of the precarious show business of comedy in Catalan: since there is no business, unless there is a show.

He is one of the architects of the program The revolt, by David Broncano. He not only coordinates the script but also fires jokes, comments, and visual montages off-screen to the host, snatching them up from the internet. This versatile and lightning-fast comedian has been dedicated to comedy for a decade, both as an actor and screenwriter, and now presents this comedy special on Filmin, in which he tackles classic themes, from death—the segment on dying from helium inhalation being a highlight—to marital monotony and the always difficult relationship with parents. He does it all with a lighthearted air, where he prioritizes comic effect rather than groundbreaking reflection, but with solid staging and very good pacing.

Lovers of stand-up comedy in a more intimate space, without the paraphernalia of rock star Of the biggest stars, they can connect with Adrianne Iapalucci and her experience of more than twenty years performing in clubs. Her latest comedy special for Netflix is called The Dark Queen It's a display of dark humor, taking the international scene from Ukraine to Palestine as its starting point. With a brick wall as a backdrop and understated direction by Louis CK, with whom he toured in 2022, the show has a classic format and navigates uncomfortable places, and its indifferent tone underlines the hypocrisies that progressive and conscientious people hide behind to justify their privilege.

One of the topics recently added to comedians' usual palette is climate change. For Zoltan Kaszas, his feelings about the imminent end of the world are contradictory. On the one hand, he feels privileged that his generation has front-row seats to an event of this importance. On the other, having grown up watching disaster movies from the 1990s, the realization that the planet isn't going to fart like an acorn, but rather that the atmosphere is becoming hotter and more inhospitable every year, has a failed climax. These kinds of contradictions fuel this comedy special, posted by the comedian on YouTube. This doomsday attitude with a smile has earned him a social media sensation and led him to produce his own shows.