Best On Netflix

The 11 Stand-Up Comedy Specials On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Josh Sorokach @joshsorokach

Published Nov. 13, 2018, 9:30 a.m. ET

John Mulaney ON A RED BACKGROUND — The best part? No two-drink minimum! NETFLIX

**John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
John Mulaney is one of the smartest, naturally gifted stand-up comedians working today. His previous specials, 2012's *New in Town* and 2015's *The Comeback Kid*, were sensational, but the comedian somehow topped them with *Kid Gorgeous*. A top-to-bottom delight, Mulaney's latest offering is a surefire cure for a bad day. *"Everyone always wants to know if famous people are nice. Like, Mick Jagger. He came in to host [Saturday Night Live], and my friends were like, 'Is he nice?' Nooo!"*
[Stream *John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Hannah Gadsby: Nanette**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
There's no way that a simple caption can do Hannah Gadsby's transformative *Nanette* justice. In Joe Reid's incisive review of the important, hilarious special, he noted that the "kaleidoscope of emotions you'll go through watching Hannah Gadsby's stand-up special is not to be underestimated." Simply stated, *Nanette* is essential viewing.
[Stream *Hannah Gadsby: Nanette* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest of Your Life**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
Two legendary comedians team up an evening of intense laughs in Steve Martin and Martin Short's *An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life*. Filled with a never-ending array of quips, catchy tunes, and funny stories about their careers in showbiz, this special is a must-stream for comedy nerds.
[Stream Steve Martin and Martin Short's comedy special on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
The follow-up to 2016's *Baby Cobra*, the explosively funny Ali Wong returns to Netflix with *Hard Knock Wife*. An unapologetic look at marriage and motherhood, Wong's honest, savagely hilarious act makes for sixty minutes of unadulterated hilarity.
[Stream *Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

Taylor Tomlinson performing stand-up. — **The Comedy Lineup: Part 1**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
*The Comedy Lineup* is kinda like a stand-up comedy sampler pack. No time to watch an hour-long special? No problem! This Netflix special features a slew of up-and-comers performing fifteen minute sets. I suggest starting with razor-sharp comedian Taylor Tomlinson. The blisteringly funny Tomlinson muses on subjects like people who write memoirs in their 20s ("If you're writing a memoir in your twenties, you have better been murdered") and yoga (hard and boring, like math for your body).
[Stream *The Comedy Lineup* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Chris Rock: Tamborine**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
For many people, Chris Rock is simply the funniest stand-up comedian of all time. After a ten year absence, the prolific funnyman returned to the stage with 2018's *Tamborine*. Directed by Bo Burnham, the hour-long set is a return to form as Rock brings a fresh perspective and new material to New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music.
[Stream *Chris Rock: Tamborine* on Netflix]

**Maria Bamford: Old Baby**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%**
Maria Bamford's frenetic special *Old Baby* is such a blast. The upbeat comedian bounces from place to place -- her apartment, bowling alleys, park benches, book stores -- performing a roving, intimate comedy special unlike any other. A truly original celebration of comedy, honesty, and bravery, Bamford's *Old Baby* is not to be missed.
[Stream *Maria Bamford: Old Baby* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Louie C.K. 2017***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%**
Per Netflix: Louis C.K. muses on religion, eternal love, giving dogs drugs, email fights, teachers, and more in a live performance from Washington, D.C.
[Stream *Louis C.K.* *2017* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%**
Well, it's not "100% Fresh" but Adam Sandler's Netflix stand-up special is pretty damn close. If you're one of the many Adam Sandler fans who checked out during Sandler's latest run of forgettable films, *100% Fresh* is a fun reminder of just how talented Sandler can be... when he, you know, actually tries. If you grew up listening to *They're All Gonna Laugh at You!* or *What the Hell Happened to Me?*, *100% Fresh* is for you.
[Stream *Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Eddie Murphy: Delirious**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%**
One of the most well-known stand-up specials of all time, Eddie Murphy's *Delirious* is now on Netflix. While not recommended for a younger crowd (Murphy says fuck over 200 times), Murphy's set was also released as an album, which won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
[Stream *Eddie Murphy: Delirious* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**Kevin Hart: What Now?**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%**
Philadelphia native Kevin Hart performs in front of a staggering 50,000 people at Lincoln Financial Field in his kinetic special *What Now?*. A unique mix of stand-up comedy and film, Hart's special grossed over $23 million at the box office. Commenting on subjects like family, jean shorts, parenting, and getting even with a seven-year-old, *What Now?* is a true treat for Kevin Hart fans.
[Stream *Kevin Hart: What Now?* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

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Bad stand-up comedy can be excruciatingly painful to watch. The awkward jokes, the microphone feedback, the piercing silence from the audience, it’s brutal. Thankfully, Netflix has seen to it that you never have to suffer through another painfully bad set by curating a collection of some of the most laugh-out-loud stand-up comedy specials in recent memory. From trailblazers like Hannah Gadsby to iconic performers like Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy, the streaming goliath has become a destination for exceptional stand-up. If you’re an admirer of the genre and find yourself in need of a laugh, we cobbled together a list of the highest-rated stand-up comedy specials currently streaming on Netflix.

You may not agree with every Rotten Tomatoes score — I mean, a 15% for Encino Man, come on! — but the review-aggregation website is a useful tool if you’re in the market for a critical snapshot of the quality of a film or TV show. Humor may be subjective, but a Rotten Tomatoes score is unequivocal. The best part? No two-drink minimum needed to enjoy these comedians!

Which performers were able to capture that elusive “Certified Fresh” seal of approval? Here are the very best stand-up comedy specials you can currently watch on Netflix.

Where to stream John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City