The actual comedy in this show isn't always stellar. It's not incredibly unique. What makes this special worth watching is the 'real' parts of the show. Neal dives into some really deep subjects and it makes the viewer think. This special isn't just a comedy show, it's a real-life story with ups and downs and cuts and notes. If you're looking for traditional comedy, it might be best to avoid this, but if you liked Bo Burnham's Make Happy, you'll probably like this.
18 Reviews
A Mix of Funny Parts & Not-So-Funny Ones but There's More To It
MontagueW24 January 2019
My buddy, whose opinion I respect, ,sent me this and was raving so that was my expectation. I was underwhelmed at first. There was also the Hannah Gadsby comparison for the content, which was unfair because it came out before Nanette. So after stopping it and allaying that last bias as well as lowering my high expectation I went back to it; and it had some funny parts.
His personal narrative was the best part as well as offering up the funniest lines. It was never boring, just some of the jokes seemed a little cliche or low effort. His switch from personal story/anecdotes to one-liners was a little off-putting at first but by midway a flow had been developed.
Is this a constant flow of snickers and guffaws, no, very few are,, but it's darn insightful, funny and enjoyable to watch all the way through and I recommend giving it a go. I like the dude and look forward to hearing more.
In case you haven't heard of him before this like me, he was a writing partner with Dave Chapelle for the Dave Chapelle Show. But he stands on his own completely! (You really do, Neil.) Great work!
His personal narrative was the best part as well as offering up the funniest lines. It was never boring, just some of the jokes seemed a little cliche or low effort. His switch from personal story/anecdotes to one-liners was a little off-putting at first but by midway a flow had been developed.
Is this a constant flow of snickers and guffaws, no, very few are,, but it's darn insightful, funny and enjoyable to watch all the way through and I recommend giving it a go. I like the dude and look forward to hearing more.
In case you haven't heard of him before this like me, he was a writing partner with Dave Chapelle for the Dave Chapelle Show. But he stands on his own completely! (You really do, Neil.) Great work!
Emotional Comedy
iwatchibinge6 May 2020
Distinctive comedy with emotional core which doesn't feel boring even in the sad parts which for Neal is cathartic (I assume) and relational to many viewers who suffer from depression but unable to voice it.
Stand-Up Part: brilliant, to the point, hilarious.
Emotional Part: honest, heart felt, moving, unique part of the show.
One-liner Part: really really small to judge.
The World Is Filling Up With Water, And A Joke Is The Air Bubble...
jcjudkins22 January 2017
Neal Brennan has a rare talent to make a large room of people laugh when necessary... or sit in silence, not sure to weather to cry... or just empathize with him.
Most of us probably watched this in the comfort of our homes, but that didn't lessen the pure impact of his message, and the heart behind his humor. I did NOT expect to receive that from a comedian I've never heard of before today.
Within the last ten minutes of the show, I was in tears. The subject matter he covers in the last bit is so brutal, and hard to listen to, but I think the reward is to know that he is who he is today because of it.
I don't know what else to say without giving anything away except... go watch it! See for yourself. The very idea of 3 microphones was brilliant, and frankly kept me guessing a few times to see which mic he was going to go to next after the lights went out. It puts a nice twist on the "One Man Show" Concept.
I certainly hope this guy builds a larger following. The more people who watch this will understand where I'm coming from. I've been deeply impacted by this, and I hope I'm not alone on that.
Most of us probably watched this in the comfort of our homes, but that didn't lessen the pure impact of his message, and the heart behind his humor. I did NOT expect to receive that from a comedian I've never heard of before today.
Within the last ten minutes of the show, I was in tears. The subject matter he covers in the last bit is so brutal, and hard to listen to, but I think the reward is to know that he is who he is today because of it.
I don't know what else to say without giving anything away except... go watch it! See for yourself. The very idea of 3 microphones was brilliant, and frankly kept me guessing a few times to see which mic he was going to go to next after the lights went out. It puts a nice twist on the "One Man Show" Concept.
I certainly hope this guy builds a larger following. The more people who watch this will understand where I'm coming from. I've been deeply impacted by this, and I hope I'm not alone on that.
Neal gives a very clever, honest, and emotional performance
eadsjos1 February 2018
Neal is a fantastic comedian artist who gives an auto-biography performance that is emotionally captivating, brilliantly delivered, and highly relatable to alot of peoples lives growing up with depression. The way he is able to share his child-adulthood journey and send the audience on this roller-coaster of tears and laughter. Brutally honest about himself in a way that most would never be able to do, expecially on the level of a netflix original. If your a fan of stand-up i highly recommend giving this a watch. Neal has been creating gold behind closed doors since the beginning of his comedy career and i hope this allows him to get the publicity and acknowledgment he deserves, one of the best stand-up specials i've seen and i've seen just about all of them. Treat yourself and give this a shot! congrats N.B. on a fantastic special!
Funny, Sad, Honest, all the qualities of a great show!
jayofnazareth21 August 2018
Part comedy part deep life reflection. Great comedy is about life, and with 3 mics you get both the good and the bad of it. You can be rolling back in your seat with laughter one minute, but on the edge of it the next. Amongst the waves of laughter, lay brutal life reflections, both funny and tragic. Definitely worth a watch.
Perfect
brittanykeilcraig18 August 2019
Reduce to 2.
REXNE8 November 2020
It may not be what you're looking for in stand-up, but that's on us
mugsinspace10 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So I knew he was a writer on the Chappelle show, and I had seen his bit when Dave Chappelle received the Mark Twain Prize. I then saw him on Comedians in Cars... where mr. Seinfeld introduced him by, amongst other things, describing his performance in 3 Mics as him trying to reinvent how stand-up could be performed. ****Minor spoiler/personal expercience ahead****: The way he set up this special... I've never been so full of anticipation during a stand up. Before a stand-up, sure, but never during one. I loved it, and it will be with me for a long time. Thanks mr. Brennan. Sincerely yours, Mugs
Wrong show I guess
jochemunlimited7 December 2022
Never heard of the guy, so this was my first experience. I think this was a mistake, because I am watching a second show and it is already better.
I turned it off after 45 min. But I already did not pay attention for a long time. So do not get me wrong, I like the concept of the 3 mics. You do not need to be funny the whole time. Coming back from a hard periode is great to talk about. Comics are talking about life, so I have no problem with that.
The jokes are not so funny for me. I do not care so much about his story because I have no connection with him and he tells nothing new. And he is a smug expression on his face for me. Maybe that is just his face but everything together it is starting to annoy me.
So I have all the respect that he talks about his problems, but it was not funny, there was no connection and it feels like that he is just standing there with no interest thinking the people will laugh about everything he says because he is famous. Maybe it is me, but it is the way I feel about it.
So I give it one more show before I will decide to quit or continue with this comedian. Because I do feel he is a bit different and be funny and to the point. But in this show I do not see it.
I turned it off after 45 min. But I already did not pay attention for a long time. So do not get me wrong, I like the concept of the 3 mics. You do not need to be funny the whole time. Coming back from a hard periode is great to talk about. Comics are talking about life, so I have no problem with that.
The jokes are not so funny for me. I do not care so much about his story because I have no connection with him and he tells nothing new. And he is a smug expression on his face for me. Maybe that is just his face but everything together it is starting to annoy me.
So I have all the respect that he talks about his problems, but it was not funny, there was no connection and it feels like that he is just standing there with no interest thinking the people will laugh about everything he says because he is famous. Maybe it is me, but it is the way I feel about it.
So I give it one more show before I will decide to quit or continue with this comedian. Because I do feel he is a bit different and be funny and to the point. But in this show I do not see it.
Reviewing it in 2020 amidst of Covid-19 crisis
sb58401215 April 2020
Neal Brennan could hide (and probably he does hide to this day) behind the familiar, behind supremely talented Dave Chappelle, to-an-extent-talented Amy Schumer. Some of his directions are lame, some are okay, none of them are exceptional. I have never liked his stand-up either. Amd this one changes it. I was little apprehensive about the gimmicky use of 3 microphones, but in the end, everything falls into place.
What is similar with a Dave Chappelle stand up is the thoughtfulness, the introspection, the meditation. Now to look at three acts separately, at least a few one-liners are more like dad-jokes, the regular stand-up bits are mostly funny but not laugh-out-loud variety except the last bit which is very Amy Schumer-ish and brought nothing new to the table. What stands out is the meditation of the center mic, the non-rant version of everything that can be rant on, and the satire and the irony living a life that is partly felt and mostly numb. But Neal creates the vehicle that gives you a taste of his own life and reflected on it, a taste of your own life, partly felt, mostly numb.
I rated it 10 on 10, although I do not think it will be counted as classic, but somehow this standup resonated with me, reminded me of Tig Notaro, Dave Chappelle among others.
What is similar with a Dave Chappelle stand up is the thoughtfulness, the introspection, the meditation. Now to look at three acts separately, at least a few one-liners are more like dad-jokes, the regular stand-up bits are mostly funny but not laugh-out-loud variety except the last bit which is very Amy Schumer-ish and brought nothing new to the table. What stands out is the meditation of the center mic, the non-rant version of everything that can be rant on, and the satire and the irony living a life that is partly felt and mostly numb. But Neal creates the vehicle that gives you a taste of his own life and reflected on it, a taste of your own life, partly felt, mostly numb.
I rated it 10 on 10, although I do not think it will be counted as classic, but somehow this standup resonated with me, reminded me of Tig Notaro, Dave Chappelle among others.
3 completely different mics in 1
djmykool1 May 2022
It is like watching 3 different guys in 1 in this one man show. Of course we know it is the same guy, but the way he tells good jokes awkwardly, the way he speaks about his hard life, the way he resembles with most of us, with our fears, and our lifes. For me it was a brilliant show, the 1 line jokes mic that were so dumb in a good way, the stand up mic that was so funny to the mic that makes you feel sad for him and think about our own life. Genius.
Smart, great, funny as all hell!
mcdsteve13 May 2022
Less like stand-up and more like therapy session + amateur open mic
cuengf726 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The drastic changes in tone from humor to depressing that occur several times throughout the performance are bold, unique, and kill the comedic momentum entirely. What you are left with feels less like a stand up comedy act and more like a docudrama full of too much personal exposition and a few jokes thrown in. A failed experiment in tone and delivery that should serve as a cautionary tale for future comics.
Not funny.
joeboothhere212 January 2019
Tries to be political but even there falls flat. Brennan obviously has very little life experience. How he managed to do well with some of the skits on the Chappelle Show is anybody's guess. Mine is Dave had executive veto and editing power. This guy's standup is lacking.
a disaster
cairoloko23 June 2017
This was painful to watch. Save yourself the time and don't bother watching this train wreck (that lame pun was better than anything in this special). I have never been a big fan of but he was better when he was stealing other people's jokes. Maybe he should search some old comedy tapes for new material. 1 star is generous for this slop.
too bad
partydodo20 June 2017
I have never seen the neal stand-up before but decided to see it because However, after seeing it I must say that their act is DEFINITELY not for everyone. First, you have to be able to laugh at pot-head humor. After all, they are both self-avowed pot users and much of their humor centers around this.but sadly there are many much worse!I am not offended by the notion of legalization of drugs but laughing at drugs isn't my thing. Second, you have to have a high tolerance for their slow, slow style...the style of two pot-heads!
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