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Promotional art for The Best Comedian in the World
Cover image credit: via TMDB

The Best Comedian in the World

Alex Fernández

Netflix · 2020 · 51 min

A Mexican stand-up set that transitions from silly to deeply emotional.

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Mexican stand-up often relies on a high volume of quick gags or easy crowd work, but Alex Fernández uses his second Netflix special to build toward a surprisingly quiet, melancholic climax. Recorded at the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris in Mexico City, the show begins with familiar territory. Fernández riffs on how children seem to be made of rubber—bouncing back from catastrophic falls that would put an adult in traction—before transitioning into a breakdown of his first teenage drinking experience. He throws in quick, observant segments on local absurdities like the theatrics of Mexican lucha libre and the forced social rituals of taking shots at a bar.\n\nThe atmosphere shifts entirely in the second half. Fernández steers the performance into a personal tribute to his late brother, Pedro, who lived with cerebral palsy. Instead of mining the situation for cheap sentimentality or easy pity, he recounts their shared history to explain why he chased a career in comedy at all. It is a risky move that changes the rhythm of a standard comedy set, opting for narrative vulnerability over a clean run of punchlines.\n\nAt this point in his career, Fernández was cementing his spot in the Mexican comedy boom, fresh off a successful run on the competitive reality show LOL: Last One Laughing. Directed by Alex Díaz, the 51-minute set stands out not for its cynicism, but for its willingness to let a room go dead silent before bringing them back with a laugh.

The set list

3 bits

  1. The story behind calling himself 'The Best Comedian in the World'

    Recounts visiting his late brother Pedro in the hospital during his battle with cancer, where Pedro told a nurse that Alex was 'the best comedian in the world,' concluding with 'if Pedro says so, I believe it' set alongside an original song by Dromedarios Mágicos.

  2. The first time getting drunk with friends and taking shots at the bar

    Mocks the ridiculousness of drinking rituals and reflects on youthful experiences.

  3. Competitiveness and toxic masculinity between heterosexual male friends

    Unpacks male insecurities and machismo by choosing to speak honestly about fears and defensive behaviors rather than bragging.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, goofy, poignant, tender, and bittersweet.
On stage
A charismatic, goofy, irreverent, and mischievous rascal willing to expose his own insecurities, nerdiness, and emotional vulnerabilities.
Pace
Relentless, screaming energy throughout the hour that takes the audience on a journey from euphoria to bittersweet nostalgia and catharsis.
About
family and grief, brotherhood and his brother Pedro's illness, toxic masculinity and male insecurities, white privilege in Mexico, drinking and commonplace cultural situations

What the critics said

Hailed by critics as his magnum opus and the most poignant Mexican stand-up special on Netflix for its emotional depth and balance of humor with tragedy, though some audience reviewers found his high-decibel, high-energy physical delivery exhausting.

In the room: A powerful, cathartic emotional journey shifting between laugh-out-loud laughter and shared weeping.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, sinefile.com, vpnflix.uk, remezcla.com, letterboxd.com, distractify.com, latimes.com.

Backstory

During the release of his first special in 2017, his brother Pedro (who had cerebral palsy) was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and later passed away. The special also exists amid a shifting Mexican comedy culture moving away from machista, classist humor toward more vulnerable and self-critical perspectives.

Details

Released
Runtime
51 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Alex Díaz
Topics

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