The 10 best comedians on Netflix, ranked

Oftentimes, amid the gradually increasing madness of the world there’s nothing more necessary than a well-deserved laugh.

Between jaw-dropping revelations out of Washington, exploitative tell-all interviews with troubled new celebrities, and whatever the heck Marjorie Taylor Greene is up to, stand-up comedy provides the ultimate tonic to quiet all the noise. 

In recent years, Netflix has become the go-to destination for comedy specials, providing a stage for everyone from comics just getting their start to bonafide household names. Given that Netflix has an excess of choice (did we really need another Kissing Booth?), it can be tricky to decide which comedian to tune into at the end of a long day.

Since we don’t want to subject you to yet another bout of doom-scrolling, we’re taking out the guesswork with our ranked list of the ten best comedians on Netflix. 

10. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King (2017)

Working mostly on account of Hasan Minhaj’s expert storytelling, Homecoming King sees the comedian and The Daily Show castmate unpack his childhood, with hilarious tales of his experience growing up in an Indian American Muslim family.

While there are plenty of jokes to enjoy — including a particularly hysterical prom story — the special remains compelling even when the punchlines are sparse. In 2018, Homecoming King was honoured with a Peabody Award, and it was undoubtedly the best special to drop on Netflix that year. 

9. Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (2019)

Before she was fired from Saturday Night Live after accidentally dropping the F-bomb, Jenny Slate was an awkward high schooler and haunted house survivor. The comedian and actress recounts these stories and more in Stage Fright, a debut special that puts her idiosyncratic voices and maniacal mannerisms on full display.

The world might not have known too much about Slate prior to Stage Fright, but the special — which includes documentary footage — rightfully puts her center stage. 

8. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)

Pair an iconic venue with an even more iconic comedian and you get John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, an expansive stand-up set that documents the comedian’s childhood, days as a writer at SNL, and college life. Like always, it’s Mulaney’s attention to detail which provides most of the laughs, with something as universal as a school assembly being dissected for all its hilarious worth. It’s no wonder this special won an Emmy Award in 2018. 

7. Tig Notaro: Happy to Be Here (2018)

Solidifying her status as the undeniable master of deadpan, Tig Notaro’s Happy To Be Here is a showcase of everything we love about the comedian, finding her at her happiest and most optimistic to date. Notaro’s jokes around her own celebrity status and the quirks of Hollywood remain gloriously self-effacing, but her joyful tales of marriage and parenthood display an observational wit we hadn’t quite seen before.

The final 15 minutes are a particular stand-up, as Notaro launches an extended game of potentially inviting her favorite band, The Indigo Girls, on stage. You’ll have to tune in to see if that happens. 

6. Nick Kroll: Little Big Boy (2022)

Master of voices and Big Mouth creator Nick Kroll shares his origin story in Little Big Boy, a stand-up special that sketches new contours of his comedic identity. It was his first stand-up set in over a decade, and it features all those demonic and hilarious impressions that fans of his voice work could hope for. Among others, Kroll impersonates his mother, father, a 4-year-old child, and an exaggerated version of himself. Oh, there’s also stories about diarrhea and the many inopportune places it can arrive.   

5. Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual (2022)

Joel Kim Booster’s rising star power is undoubtedly well-deserved, and his 2022 special Psychosexual is the proof. The Fire Island writer and star immediately commands the room and creates a tangible rapport with the audience.

The audience participation — which even comes to include stories about, shall we say, *alone time* — isn’t the only thing that sets Psychosexual apart. Booster’s energetic delivery and masterful crowd work more than warrant a place on your watchlist.

4. Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (2016)

Before her scene-stealing role in Beef, Ali Wong was a bonafide stand-up superstar, with her debut Netflix special Baby Cobra arriving on the cusp of her breakout success. It marked the first time in history that a Netflix stand-up special was delivered by a pregnant woman, and naturally this experience informed much of Wong’s gut-splitting jokes. Beyond that, Baby Cobra is about the comedian’s experience with transitioning from adolescence to adulthood and from single life to marriage. 

3. Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats (2014)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Chelsea Peretti is able to elicit laughs simply with the subtle intonation of her voice. In One of the Greats, she proclaims unabashedly that she is the GOAT of comedy, and it’s hard to disagree. This self-aware vanity informs much of Peretti’s set, as she hilariously unpacks observational ticks like small talk, dating, and the pleasure of staying home. For extra measure, One of the Greats features increasingly bizarre and cutaway shots of everything from dogs, a couple making out, and an audience member using a leaf blower. 

2. Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018)

Australian comic Hannah Gadsby redefined a stand-up set with Nanette, a special that’s just as concerned with jokes as it is with commentary on the pitfalls of misogyny. While there are moments of extreme hilarity, brought on by Gadsby’s dry humor and incisive wit, Nanette is also an exercise in powerful storytelling. Gadsby’s rage, sadness, joy, and internal monologue are on full display in the special, which has rightfully been considered a game-changer in the comedy world. 

1. Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

Few people deliver jokes as hilarious and gut-wrenching as Bo Burnham. In 2021’s Inside, the actor, comedian, and musician looks inward at the effects of the pandemic, politics and the general wasteland of society.

Interspersed throughout the incisive special are moments of genuine sadness, thought-provoking commentary and of course, hilarious original songs. Inside was recorded over the course of one year in Burnham’s home, and it remains a Netflix special masterpiece.    

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