20 Best Movies Of 2021 (So Far)
2. Bo Burnham: Inside
Though the online debates continue to rage about whether or not Bo Burnham's pandemic-era performance piece Inside is truly a film or not, there's little denying it's the strongest piece of in-quarantine art produced amid COVID-19.
Filmed at Burnham's home without the assistance of a crew or the presence of an audience, the film - yes, it is a film - melds stand-up comedy with narrative monologues, songs, documentary, and meta-commentary to deliver one of the most brilliantly bewildering creative feats of the year.
Burnham's relatable anxieties about the mental toll of the pandemic is one thing, but Inside isn't a mere exercise in navel-gazing miserabilism: humanity leaks from its every pore, and more often than you might expect, some sly joy too.
As a testament to what a sufficiently creative person can do with a few cameras, lights, musical instruments, and a laptop, Inside isn't just genius - it's downright inspiring.