This past week, I was really looking for some stress relief. It was finals week, I was working, and I just did not feel like I had time to breathe. Then, I remembered Reggie Watts' new comedy special "Spatial" just got released on Netflix. I'm a total sucker for comedy specials (and I already knew I loved Reggie's comedy style), so I buckled down, got myself some snacks, and spent the next 60 minutes laughing my head off.
A self-produced Netflix special, "Spatial" is sure to entertain. If you are not familiar with the name "Reggie Watts," you may recognize him as the man who leads James Corden's Late Late Show band. If you are still unfamiliar with his comedy, I recommend this TEDTalk that he gave about beats that defy the box. His comedy is pretty unfathomable, but I will try to sum it up for you. Reggie Watts may be one of the most genuinely intelligent people out there, but the way he speaks makes for unbelievable confusion to the point where half the time you laugh because you literally just don't know what's happening and it's easier to laugh than to try to figure out what just happened. It's a weird combination of beat-boxing and existential crises - a mix between vulgar and innocent, coherent and unintelligible.
This special, "Spatial," provides all the weirdness of his usual comedy, but this time with more production value. We see the audience in beanbags, there are weird cuts to "clips" of this made-up sitcom that is just him on stage with a couple of his friends, and there are songs involving "audience members" that seem strangely prepared for being called up on stage. The visual effects were simplistic, but they were actually more advanced than most comedy specials I've seen. The way they clipped together bits and pieces of the actual performance with outside material was interesting to watch, and only added to the hilarity and confusion. The actual content of the comedy special includes political commentary and discussion of science, along with existential awareness being brought to the forefront. He spend a lot of time singing and interacting with his audience, and there is a little bit of something for everyone.
I genuinely enjoy watching Reggie Watts perform. I ended up rating this special 5/5 stars because I enjoyed it so much. At one point, Reggie goes on a rant about space and existence and it wasn't really even comedy, but I felt myself getting happier because he is so well informed on topics that I haven't even given a second thought to. He is truly talented, and it shines through in this special. Reggie Watts can make a person enjoy confusion, but at the same time you can actually get something out of what he is saying. It is not a family friendly special by any means, but it really enjoyable if you don't want to work too hard at understanding the comedy - chances are you wouldn't understand if even if you tried.
