“Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado” is the latest stand-up special from Netflix.
Netflix has been home to some great original stand-up specials, including John Mulaney’s recent “The Comeback Kid.” This special is a welcome addition to its lineup — Buress is a multi-faceted and hilarious comedian.
Buress is identified by different characters to different people. To some, he’s Lincoln Rice on “Broad City.”
To others, he’s the homeless man on “30 Rock.” He recently achieved his greatest notoriety in 2014, when his routine about Bill Cosby led to widespread knowledge about the rape allegations against Cosby.
Buress is in good form in “Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado.” The special was filmed in Minneapolis, and shows Buress employing an interesting tactic in his interaction with the audience.
At first, they’re cold toward him.
Their laughs are more like appreciative chuckles. A different type of comedian would become a bit more animated in his or her delivery to make the crowd laugh louder.
Not Buress. When a joke falls flat, he just stands there, thinking. Then he either keeps going or subtly moves onto a new topic.
That’s not to say that he’s stone-faced for the entirety of this special.
There are a few moments in which he is more animated, such as when he describes how great it is to be an uncle or imitating babies he worked with on a movie. His higher-intensity comedy is just as successful as his more laid-back jokes.
Buress’s soldiering on approach works well. He gets some bigger laughs and several rounds of applause throughout the special. The audience even gives Buress a standing ovation at the end.
One of Buress’s bits, where he describes trying to prove his identity to a woman who works at a hotel, is one of the funniest I’ve seen this year.
I couldn’t stop laughing as he took apart the woman’s argument that his website about his stand-up might be fake. His transition from mild irritation to mock anger reminds you of his acting skills.
The level of detail he brings to his jokes is one of my favorite things about Buress.
One example of this comes when he’s listening to his sister’s children tell a story: “That’s a terrible story! You didn’t establish characters or anything!”
“Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado” is a hilarious stand-up special. It takes a while for it to find its footing, but once it does, it is very funny and an excellent showcase for Buress’s talent.
Jesse Pasternack @jessepasternack
