James Acaster: Repertoire (2018) User Reviews

Master Story Teller - fusing the mundane and absurd

[Macdonaldmichael · 9/10 · 13 June 2018]

***Hints of jokes, but no punchlines spoiled***

I found James' special on Netflix, randomly browsing. I had no expectations and was equally prepared to be surprised or disappointed.

Instead - I found myself thoroughly entertained by a master storyteller who manages to fuse the mundane and absurd so well that you almost it.

Elements such as jury duty, retail strategies for honey, and kitchen mirrors were used to deliver delightful chuckles at the sheer idiocy of we humans.

My favorite bit was the existential ponderings triggered by a visit to the dentist. Bravo James.

This is a fellow to keep an eye on.

Refreshing and different!

[Majikat76 · 9/10 · 9 April 2018]

My favourite comedian of the moment! Finding the funny in the most mundane of things and bringing a unique angle to the current comedy circuit.

Acaster is timeless, original, out there and the king of bringing older jokes back in without anticipation.

Refreshing and clever!

A refreshing take on stand up specials

[clemcrispino · 9/10 · 23 February 2019]

I mostly knew James Acaster from some panel shows he went on. I then remembered seeing that he had a comedy special on netflix, and decided to watch it. First of all, I was agreeably surprised by the fact that it was a series of 4 stand up shows, I had never seen that before.

And watching it, every joke, every situation being randomly delivered until, at the very end of every episode he brings it all together like a puzzle of a rainbow he'd been designing this all time... I was amazed. In the end, he was hilarious, dramatic and he is a genie in comedic composition, if that's ever a thing.

What it lacks in Cabadging it makes up for with everything else

[shaykelliher · 10/10 · 28 March 2018]

James Acaster is my favourite comedian of all time. I've seen every TV appearance he's made, all his live clips online, listened to all of his classic scrapes and read his book. I LOVE this man, he has the ability to make me no matter what. So when I heard that 4 hours worth of his material was going to be put on Netflix, I was ecstatic to say the least.

Every part of this four-part comedic masterpiece is hilarious. The show is made up of new and old material. The old stuff still lands as well as it did the first time I heard it and the new stuff was amazing to see.

Each episode has James (colour coordinated with the stage background) seemingly rambling about unconnected topics for 55 minutes at a time, but by the end you realise that you've seen an perfectly plotted show that managed to somehow get a very strange plot across.

Gags like James playing us his comedy podcast, talking about jury duty, massages, pictures-you-put-your-head-in, folding boxes, Google logos, Dr Pepper, conga lines, Mexican restaurant cutlery and how to break the ice sound like they don't connect but by the end of all four you're aware you've seen something special.

The final episode especially manages to tie in in-jokes from all three other episodes as well as some more new material that manages to cap off the whole show and make you feel like you've seen one 4-hour set rather than four unrelated shows.

It's unlikely, but I hope that more of Acaster's work makes it to Netflix as more people need to be exposed to his genius. If you love Acaster like I do, this will be the highlight of your year so far. If you've never heard of him then do yourself a favour and check this out, you'll love it.

Comedy masterpiece

[diego-ibanez75 · 10/10 · 9 April 2018]

By far the best comedy special released by Netflix this year.

The strangest comedy genius!

[alymuhammadsayani · 10/10 · 9 January 2019]

At points while watching this, you genuinely ask yourself, how am I laughing this hard? That was completely and very comically bizarre. But that man is a genius and the way he links together his jokes, rants and strange mannerisms into 50 or so minutes will not only have you questioning yourself and your existence through his absurd, thought provoking dialogues, but will also cheer you up without fail and have you in stitches throughout. 10/10

I made a whole account just to write this review. People deserve to see this.

Something for the comedy connoisseur

[simonrobson · 10/10 · 8 April 2019]

According to a comic friend of mine. James Acaster is known as the comedian that comedians would pay to watch. His "Repertoire" series on Neflix is akin to performance art. It is intricately yet seamlessly crafted. It follows to say that the devil is in the detail, and that Mr Acaster beguiles and bedazzles Lucifer into submission. Comedy is subjective, so all are welcome to disagree. However as a wise man... or woman once said "shut up! My opinion is well better than yours!"

It's unfortunate that this may not be for everyone

[Michael Fargo · 10/10 · 29 November 2019]

This is more of a performance piece than what is traditionally a "stand-up" comedy routine...well, four routines. Highly intelligent, written with precision and masterfully acted, James Acaster reinvents the genre and gives a radically new take on the stand-up. While it's wide-ranging, it all seems to be of a piece and each episode could stand alone, but there are references to what's come before that invite the audience to join in the joke. The persona Acaster gives is someone who may be a little dim, but his ponderings--sometimes with one sentence or sometimes a lengthy story--sharply illustrate today's modern culture. He/she will recognize situations if not necessarily brand names (Pret a Manger) or the finer details of Brexit. Eschewing what's typically become a ribald forum for shocking the audience, this (these pieces) are at a much higher plain using language to unmask the viewer rather than berate us with the obvious. Thoroughly entertaining and fresh.

Masterpiece

[sunderland-01685 · 10/10 · 29 August 2018]

Well I just finished all the episodes and they weave together masterfully. Each episode i thought he is working his way up my list of favorite comedians with Bill Burr, Pete Holmes, Brian Regan, and Andy Woodhul. By the final episode and seeing that he just did a 4-5 hour comedy special the all wove together... fantastic. So damn funny.

Very funny and inventive stand up saga.

[the_lotus_eater-844-56911 · 7 July 2020]

The scope of these specials is defiantly something to be amazed by. The first three shows are loosely connected, with the final show, Recap, linking them all. It's an interesting idea and allows for intricate call backs and helps create some jokes that wouldn't have been possible either.

Each special stands up on it's own (however Recap will be less impactful if you've not seen the previous) and within it, there are plenty of absurd observations and enactments. The only stipulation is that if you're a fan of James Acaster you may have heard quite a few of these segments on various panel shows. There's still a ton of stuff you won't have seen and lots of the stuff you would have heard is more confidently delivered here, but that is something to consider.

As an aside, a common topic with US vs UK comedy is that US comedy is just jokes where as UK comedy tries to also have a narrative, which leads to US comedy being much more joke and laugh oriented, but perhaps not as personal. UK comedy has more of an arc so feels more like a 'complete' piece of standup (rather than a series of funny 'bits') and this seems like the perfect example of this. It's all connected but only uses that to elevate the comedy. Well worth a watch.

Weird but funny comedian.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 1 September 2023]

The least you could say about James Acaster is that he's a weirdo, but he's the good kind of weird. Very strange way of thinking about daily things, but always well brought on stage. He's entertaining to watch, knows what an audience wants, and although he speaks quite rapidly for a foreigner like me it's understandable, but it's better with subtitles. I watched the four episodes or shows in four days. One per day, all weird, with the last one being the best of the four. The last one resumes his other shows, makes it all click together, so it is best to watch this repertoire in a short time to experience it all better.

Dirk Gently does comedy...and it's the best I've seen all year.

[xxxia-58526 · 9/10 · 5 May 2019]

Laughed a lot more than I have done during any Netflix special to date.If I was not laughing I was very intrigued to what was going on... and apparently so was the audience. It was electric and very enjoyable to hear the response from the crowd. Great timing and pacing...bravely let's the audience linger for longer than I've seen anybody do before. This is a classic and will stand the test of time no doubt. Also check out classic scrapes on youtube. If this type of humor is your kind of thing.

Well done

[jordymadueno · 8/10 · 11 May 2020]

Acaster is one of my favorite comedians as he's a great character by himself. He's also one of the few that make smart jokes and this 4ep series show was cleverly made.

A refreshing comedy entry

[bretxmurphy · 10/10 · 23 December 2020]

First things first. Would like to advise using subtitles for American audience. He does speak very clearly and his points are deliberate, but having subtitles made it a more enjoyable watch.

Now, with comedy it's either very raunchy, or very political, or it appears to feel that way as of late. James comes in with a fantastic four piece set that keeps you engaged and has very satisfying call backs. He does touch on politics, but it's British politics so right there it's not too much. He keeps it very clean for the most part, but still doesn't make me feel like a child!

Only complaint is that it appears each episode has a prolonged skit that feels like it goes on for far too long, but even then the whole episode has great pace and it's still very easy to enjoy! Some of my favorite jokes of all comedy come from this special, and it is definitely worth a watch!

Dear lord...

[nefftimmy · 10/10 · 24 December 2021]

I have watched this probably 5 times now.. James Acaster is extremely unique and insanely funny. Who in this world would rate this 4/10 o.0 and say that they didn't have any "haha" moments... Maybe someone who can't understand brilliant comedy? This is such a great watch and there are 4! 50 min episodes.. James absolutely spoils the audience silly... Will always be one of my favorite comedy specials ever made.

Why am I laughing and crying simultaneously?

[arishooshtari · 10/10 · 4 August 2020]

Something that stands out while watching a stand up is how the majority of comedians are really trying to be funny. I remember when I first started watching George Carlin and very soon I was convinced this guy was conceived, born and raised to do comedy. He was not trying, he just was. James Acaster is still too young to be put in the same basket as Carlin and other greats, however his amazing writing, delivery, composure and intelligence are all testaments to greatnesses in the making. At no point he's trying to be funny. He really truly naturally is.

Amazing

[hannahkelley-13219 · 10/10 · 3 January 2021]

I had a great time watching Repertoire. These four episodes are creatively and hilariously interwoven! From random topics such as his hometown football club chant, to a banana shop grudge, James Acaster keeps the watcher entertained from the first minute to the last. I would recommend watching back to back if you have the time, but its just as funny in parts! Whether it's old or new jokes, Acaster delivers in a unique and funny way. Not for everyone, but give it a go!

Not for the intellectually challenged.

[davidstanley-88230 · 10/10 · 6 March 2022]

Hilarious, very very funny, sensitive, agile and intelligent.

James Acaster is a breath of fresh air, the imaginative worlds and the absurd situations James creates are genius.

I read a bad review here by a reviewer who obviously doesn't know what the term white noise means or must have had a humour by-pass op.

Wow

[kenbo-87360 · 10/10 · 23 May 2022]

I'd never heard of James Acaster until I saw this pop up on Netflix around a year ago. Just watching a minute of the trailer I knew it was going to be good, and I wasn't disappointed.

He manages to turn the mundane into hilarious gags. Here we have free bananas, an undercover cop, a stint in witness protection and honey racket. That's without plenty of celebrity gossip!

I've watched these four specials dozens of times, and I'm yet to get bored of his humour. It might not be to everybody's taste, but if it is, you will love it.

Give it a try.

Hilarious and Genius

[naderby · 10/10 · 1 July 2023]

An absolute delight. I was captivated by Acaster's unique style and delivery. His comedic timing is impeccable, and his ability to weave together hilarious anecdotes and observations had me laughing throughout the entire show.

It also has an innovative structure and interconnectivity. Each show builds upon the previous one, creating a cohesive narrative that keeps the audience engaged and intrigued. He tackles a wide range of topics, from personal experiences to societal observations. It's evident that James puts a lot of thought into his material, crafting jokes that are both intelligent and absurdly funny. It's a masterclass in stand-up comedy.

Brilliantly creative mind, amazingly talented performer!

[CineSquirrel · 10/10 · 2 June 2023]

I've never seen anything quite like this, and I love it! I first discovered James Acaster because I enjoy John Mulaney's stand-up performances, and when I Googled what other comedians are similar to Mulaney, James Acaster's name came up. While I can see how in general his style is similar to Mulaney's, with the use of storytelling and the focus on quotidian details, Acaster's performance is more imaginative, absurd, and physical. He is in a class of his own! Very original writing, and he plays with the timing in interesting ways. It's a bit of a roller coaster! Although I will say that I think the first and last episodes of Repertoire are a little stronger than the other two, I loved all four episodes.

Spoken white noise

[bettycjung · 4 April 2018]

4/2/18. I did watch the entire four-episodes, though in retrospect I don't know why. Maybe it was because his humor was clean and sometimes clever, but there was no ha-ha moments to speak of. Maybe if you have nothing better to do and you want some rambling noise to fill the silence, then this one's for you.