It feels like every year the world takes it upon itself to find innovative new ways to self-combust. In 2024, there were devastating floods all over the world, typhoons and hurricanes, earthquakes that quite literally shook the ground beneath our feet. Even Mt. Etna erupted—twice. On top of that, humans waged their wars, added to the perpetually high pollution levels, and were just plain dicks overall. It’s been depressing all-round.

Thankfully, comedians know exactly where to channel this all-pervading sense of nihilistic pessimism—into their comedy. Which means we—the audience—had a bumper crop of funny, insightful standup specials this year. There were promising debuts from Indian comedians, some international heavy-weights returning to the big stage, and even a veteran marking two decades in the biz. It wasn’t easy to pick out 10, but that’s why they pay us the big medium… okay, that’s why they pay us some bucks.

Here, in ranked order, are our favourite comedy specials of 2024.

10. Madhur Virli – The IIT Dream 

Indian comedy fans have grown quite fond of dark humour. It’s not an easy style to pull off—just check Xitter for the latest comedian to mistake “offensive” for “dark”—but Madhur Virli is one of the few Indian comics to prove their skills in this department. On his debut standup special The IIT Dream, the Delhi comedian leans into his penchant for tackling off-colour topics with tact and humour.

The special mainly focuses on every Indian parents’ obsession with sending their children to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, and the challenges that pop up along the way. Virli, an IIT alumnus, draws from his own experiences to deliver the laughs. He has a particularly well-crafted bit that touches upon the prevalence of suicide on-campus. Virli’s wit, wisdom and masterful misdirection are on full display here, as in the rest of the special. With a promising debut and age on his side, expect to see him on many such lists in the years ahead.

Available on YouTube

9. Nikki Glaser – Someday You’ll Die 

While Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady was a mixed bag, one of its highlights was Nikki Glaser’s scene-stealing performance. The Ohio native stood out for her scathing zingers, earning her the attention of hundreds of thousands of new comedy consumers just weeks ahead of the release of her latest special Someday You’ll Die. It was an aligning-of-the-stars moment, bringing the spotlight to a special that truly deserves its flowers.

Glaser doubles down on her signature high-brow debauchery on Someday You’ll Die, waxing poetic about bedroom games, intimacy and abortions. There is a particularly macabre joke about rape early on in the set that’s quite a risk—if it bombed, that would set the tone for the entire set. But years spent walking the fine line between risque and offensive comes in handy for Glaser, who pulls the bit off with aplomb. The major focal point of the special is Glaser’s opposition to having kids. This might be an obvious premise for someone of Glaser’s age. But she tackles the subject with the wit and self-aware introspection that is the hallmark of a seasoned comedy veteran. 

Available on JioCinema

8. Azeem Banatwalla – Minor Celebrity 

Azeem Banatwalla is one of Indian comedy’s OGs—a regular at the Canvas Laugh Club, a member of the East India Comedy collective, popping up in many of the viral videos from the YouTube comedy era. In recent years, he’s also found some success doing live-streams and panel comedy shows. In other words, Banatwalla is now a minor celebrity. And he digs deep into what that means on his latest comedy special.

The Mumbai comedian makes some incisive observations over the hour—drawing parallels between politicians and comedians, zeroing in on the binary nature of the Indian education system, and pondering over the nature of fame and virality in today’s ultra-online world. This is Banatwalla’s strongest work yet, especially when he examines his own insecurities and yearning for online validation.

7. Taylor Tomlinson – Have It All 

Taylor Tomlinson has found incredible success at the age of 31. She already had two critically acclaimed standup specials to her name (2020’s Quarter Life Crisis and her last special Look At You), is constantly performing in sold out auditoriums, and has hosted CBS’ After Midnight since January this year. In the eyes of fellow comedians, she arguably “has it all”. 

But on her latest special, Tomlinson pushes back against this notion. She might be living the dream professionally, but her personal life is in shambles. Cue hilarious bits about the single life and mental health. Every joke is masterfully crafted—tight with a ratatat rhythm that can easily be edited for bite-sized viewing later. We don’t blame her, that’s just the nature of the game now. On Have It All, Tomlinson showcases exactly why she has all these accolades to her name. To top it all off, she’s bringing some popstar energy to the comedy stage—shiny jackets, neon-lit staircase et al. Put it on for a non-stop hour of top-tier entertainment. 

Available on Netflix 

6. Ramy Youssef – More Feelings 

Discomfiting topics have never scared Ramy Youssef—whether he’s tackling rampant Islamophobia and the 9/11 attacks on his previous special Feelings, or putting his own faith and upbringing under the microscope on TV show Ramy. Similarly, he doesn’t shy away from addressing the alleged genocide in Gaza on his latest special More Feelings. It’s a brave move, especially at a time when people are losing jobs for simple statements of solidarity. It’s even braver for him to announce that all the proceeds from the show go to Gazan charities. 

Youssef has a knack for dealing with these large, messy subjects through a deeply personal lens, making room for conversation about his own faith, beliefs and upbringing. Throughout the special he calls out the hypocrisy of Westerners for calling Muslims misogynists, elaborates on how our views are shaped by the media and pokes fun at American politics. Don’t be fooled—even with such loaded topics, Youssef always manages to bring the laughs, without ever sacrificing empathy or understanding.

Available on JioCinema 

5. Anthony Jeselnik – Bones & All  

Bones And All is more than just a special. It’s a victory lap for Anthony Jeselnik, who has ruled as standup comedy’s dark prince for 20 years. That’s a long enough time for people to lose their edge, especially when the material is as cutting as Jeselnik’s. But his latest offering—with which he toured India on DeadAnt Live’s Loop—shows that he knows exactly how to keep it fresh. 

Whether he’s joking about transgender people or taking aim at pregnant women, Jeselnik consistently threads the needle by being funny without crossing the line. That might be a tall order for certain comedians, but Jeselnik has it down pat. Towards the end, we see a slightly sentimental side to the comedian, one that we never thought he was capable of. He recounts the time he worked with Norm Macdonald and even re-tells his first ever joke. There are obviously twisted ends to both these anecdotes but it’s nice to know that even he indulges in nostalgia from time to time. Bones And All makes a strong case for Jeselnik’s ascension from prince to the dark comedy throne.

Available on Netflix

4. Ali Siddiq – Domino Effect Part 3: First Day of School

Ali Siddiq’s performance relies more on his skills as a storyteller than the jokes. Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of laughs. But his ability to just sit on a stool and talk about his strange, eventful life—in this series of specials that kicked off in 2022—is remarkable. Calm and engaging, Siddiq discusses his journey with rare honesty and vulnerability, right from childhood to being incarcerated for selling drugs and his time in prison.

In the third part of the series, the comedian elaborates on the weird purgatory he found himself in, when he was imprisoned but still awaiting a sentence and verdict. He uses the setting to his advantage, building out characters to further the plot, injecting humour at every point possible. It’s an extraordinary piece of writing and performance that marks him out as one of the top standup comedians in the world today.

3. Demetri Martin – Demetri Deconstructed 

Demetri Martin excels at experimental comedy. He’ll doodle his punchlines on a big writing pad, bring instruments up on stage, and even have the equivalent of a director’s commentary playing in the background as he performs. It might sound a bit self-indulgent sometimes, but Martin has the comedic nous to pull it off. His latest special—arguably his most experimental one—is testament to that skill.

Directed by Martin himself, the special makes some stylistic choices that work in his favour. It’s shot in black and white, which might come across as twee, but Martin’s set earns the look by the end. Even the framing for a special is so intriguing—he is undergoing some medical tests that require him to enter a comedy simulation. There’s even a voice-over that gives us real-time thoughts as he delivers his material. It’s all very meta.

Most importantly, Martin’s writing is phenomenal as usual. One of the highest points in the special comes when he draws a series of charts and graphs, using them as punchlines. Then he uses the same images in reverse order, for a completely new set of jokes. It’s awe-inspiring writing. Cerebral, innovative and accessible all at once, Demetri Deconstructed is a must-watch for comedy fans.

Available on Netflix

2. Neal Brennan – Crazy Good  

“I have some terrible news,” says Neal Brennan on his latest special Crazy Good. “I feel pretty great.” That might come as a surprise given the subject matter of his last special Blocks, in which he bared his soul and let us in on his 25-year-long battle with depression. On his latest though, the pendulum swings from maudlin to manic.

Brennan goes off on anything and everything on this 57-minute special—cryptocurrency, documentaries, hustlers, social media, influencers. All the things that make the internet what it is today are in Brennan’s aiming reticles. It’s commendable how many things he touches upon, creating a thread between every punchline. And once he’s done with his tirade, Brennan arrives at the meat of the special—establishing a connection between eccentricity and greatness. The name of the special is an apt descriptor for his new theory, and for his performance. It is indeed, crazy good. 

Available on Netflix

1. Alex Edelman – Just For Us 

Alex Edelman’s Just For Us is quite unlike a traditional standup special. Instead of setting the mood with some low-stakes jokes, Edelman jumps right in from the get-go. The 90-minute-special, which was performed on Broadway before getting an online release, functions as a one act play of sorts, as Edelman tells us about how he infiltrated a meeting of white supremacists as a Jewish man. The comedian turns this experience as the jumping point for razor-sharp social commentary, holding up a mirror to the unpleasantness of today’s society—antisemitism, rising Neo-Nazism and overall Millennial angst.

As a performer, Edelman is flawless. He ambles around the stage firing off hard-earned insights, drawing from his upbringing and personal history. Just For Us is a masterful, well-paced special, never sacrificing on the laughs to make a bigger point. It’s the perfect blend vulnerability, social commentary and humour making it our favourite special of the year. 

Available on JioCinema