Film

Iliza Shlesinger: Confirmed Kills

Iliza Shlesinger's rapid-fire standup tackles absurdist observations about gender, ambition, and the chaotic impulses we all harbour. She's a born storyteller with comic timing that lands in bursts—moments of genuine laugh-out-loud insight wrapped in her distinctive vocal delivery. For anyone who loves character-driven comedy and doesn't mind a comedian who leans into the weird.

TMDb rating3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like stand-up that builds on a sharp, confessional persona and follows a single line of thought until it turns into a joke you did not see coming.

Skip it if you want a comedy hour of quick one-liners, since this one settles into long, personal riffs about gender and self-control that take their time getting to the laugh.

What it asks of you: It runs about seventy-seven minutes of one woman talking straight to the crowd, so you need to give it your full attention rather than half-listening while doing something else.

If you liked this

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas2020

Gadsby returns after Nanette with a tighter, funnier hour that proves they're a craftsperson, not just a provocateur. Observational comedy about desire, art, and how we perform ourselves, delivered with surgical precision.

But If you want straightforward jokes without philosophical undercurrent, this still won't be it. The humour comes from watching ideas unfold, not from punchlines landing quickly.

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas poster

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City2018

Mulaney's ability to build a story from nothing—a single observation spiralling into narrative gold—is masterclass. Hilarious, warm, and structurally brilliant in ways that reward close watching.

But His style is deliberately measured and deadpan. If you're looking for high-energy chaos or rapid-fire one-liners, the pacing might feel slow.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City poster

Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special!2012

Bamford's comedy mines genuine vulnerability about mental illness without ever stopping being funny. She's inventive with form—puppets, costume changes, self-aware meta-commentary—and completely original.

But The mental health content is real and sometimes dark. If you prefer comedy that stays safely away from deeper material, this won't work for you.

Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special! poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Iliza Shlesinger: Confirmed Kills

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds2016

Like Shlesinger, Holmes is a voice-driven comedian who builds character inside the standup form. But Holmes is far weirder about it—where Shlesinger is a storyteller, he's almost a performance artist.

Holmes is obsessed with voice and character—a comedian who sounds like ten different people and finds the funny in the spaces between ideas. Experimental in form while remaining genuinely hilarious, with philosophical undercurrent done lightly.

But Some of the impressions and character work feel more like sketch comedy than traditional standup. The lack of clear narrative arc bothers people who want structure.

Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds poster
More like this (4)

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra2016

Wong's comedy is pure adrenaline: loud, profane, and unapologetic about being a woman, a mother, and a person with appetites. She commits completely and the energy is contagious.

But If crude material makes you uncomfortable, this will. She's relentless and by design, there's nowhere soft to land.

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra poster

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American2021

Southern storytelling at its best—Bargatze builds absurd narratives with such deadpan sincerity that you're never sure if he's serious. Genuinely clever writing buried under a deliberately folksy delivery.

But The pace is leisurely and the humour lives in character and understatement. If you want instant gratification, you'll be frustrated.

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American poster

Michelle Wolf: Joke Show2019

Wolf's quick-witted and genuinely inventive, finding unexpected angles on everything from politics to relationships. Her timing is razor-sharp and she's not afraid of darkness.

But Some jokes land better than others and the set sometimes feels like it's still being workshopped. The energy can be scattered.

Michelle Wolf: Joke Show poster

James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 19992020

Acaster builds elaborate narratives that circle back on themselves beautifully. British, absurdist, and surprisingly moving underneath the chaos. His commitment to the bit is absolute.

But The humour is very English and relies heavily on understatement and misdirection. American comedy fans sometimes find it slow to ignite.

James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 poster

People

Cast

Directing

Writing

Recommended by