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Promotional art for Elder Millennial
Cover image credit: via TMDB

Elder Millennial

Iliza Shlesinger

Netflix · 2018 · 72 min

Hyperactive stand-up about the exhaustion of millennial dating.

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Iliza Shlesinger spent her previous hours on Netflix acting as an interpreter for the straight single woman, but here she steps into the role of an elder stateswoman of dating. At 35 and newly engaged, she looks back at the desperation of her twenties with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Her physical comedy is as hyperactive as ever; she uses weird goblin voices, peacock mating calls, and physical contortions to map out the weird, unspoken rituals of female social circles. The centerpiece of the hour is her breakdown of the “she-dragon,” the grotesque monster of comfort that a woman becomes the second a man leaves her apartment.

Filmed aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Hornet in Alameda, California, this was Shlesinger’s fourth Netflix special. Dressed in sailor-button flared pants that matched the naval venue, she framed herself as a guide to younger millennials dealing with dating apps and performative romance. The material focuses heavily on the exhausting amount of effort women put into looking effortless, the awkwardness of explaining how you met on Tinder, and the evolutionary urge to squeeze chubby baby legs.

Critics generally appreciated her brisk, high-energy delivery, though some noted that her take on heterosexual mating dynamics can occasionally feel a bit traditional.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Meeting her fiancé on a dating app

    Subverts traditional romantic storytelling by bluntly stating that in modern times she met her partner on an app without an elaborate fairy tale narrative.

  2. Fairy tale relationship myths and predator dynamics

    Examines how women are taught the fantasy that men will rescue them from dying alone, critiquing cinematic tropes where men target shy, shivering women as predatory behavior.

  3. Female effort in courtship

    Highlights the massive imbalance of effort women put into preparing for dates—makeup, uncomfortable shoes, and diet sacrifices—while men simply show up.

  4. The woman's inner She-Dragon

    Personifies the fantastical, demanding primal voice in a woman's mind as a mythical creature.

  5. Bird mating calls and peacock impressions

    Steps away from human dating rituals to act out vocal impressions of peacocks, noting female peacocks are peahens.

  6. Physical comparison between women and male anatomy

    Contrasts women's harsh body self-criticism against the appearance of scrotums, describing them as shrunken heads dipping into toilet water.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, candid, and satirical.
On stage
Exuberant, highly physical, and self-assured, sporting a swishing ponytail and utilizing elastic character voices, animal impressions, and personified inner alter egos.
Pace
Galloping and high-tempo, marked by physical prancing and rapid-fire revelations.
About
Life at age 35, Millennial identity, Dating and mating rituals, Differences between men and women, Engagement and long-term relationships, Female beauty standards and societal expectations

What the critics said

Praised for her lethal physical agility, voice manipulation, and energetic delivery, though some critics felt her continued focus on gender dynamics and dating tropes trod familiar comedic territory.

In the room: Enthusiastic and audibly supportive of her mentorship and relationship observations.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, themoviedb.org, allmovie.com, decider.com, latimes.com, standard.co.uk, rottentomatoes.com.

Backstory

Filmed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in front of a draped American flag; personal backdrop centers on her recent engagement after meeting her partner on a dating app and approaching the upper threshold of the millennial generation.

Details

Released
Taped
USS Hornet
Runtime
72 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Steve Paley
Topics
Before
Confirmed Kills (2016)
After
Over & Over (2019)

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