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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

I'm Brent Morin

Brent Morin

Netflix · 2015 · 67 min

A frantic, highly physical autopsy of a disastrous dating life.

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Brent Morin spends a significant chunk of his debut hour trying to process how a woman could leave him for a magician. Rather than focusing on standard heartbreak, he obsesses over the sheer, embarrassing absurdity of losing a partner to someone whose profession relies on cheap misdirection. His delivery is physically expressive, swinging from self-deprecation to high-key panic as he details the logistics of his romantic failures. He plays against his own clean-cut, sitcom-lead looks, leaning hard into the anxiety of a man who desperately wants to be in a healthy relationship but remains far too chaotic to maintain one.

Filmed at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, the special caught Morin at a unique crossroads. At 29, he was co-starring in the NBC sitcom Undateable, yet the hour’s title—and its opening sketch with comedian Leonard Ouzts playing a security guard who refuses to let him backstage—points to the reality of being a working actor whose face is recognizable but whose name remains unfamiliar. Director Lance Bangs captures Morin’s highly animated stage presence as he details everything from the agony of puberty to his dating disasters. While the hour flew somewhat under the radar upon its release, it remains a showcase for a comic who can pivot from quiet narrative setup to sudden, loud-mouthed fury.

The set list

4 bits

  1. A girlfriend leaving him for a magician

    Told as a centerpiece, recurring narrative anchored by repeated callbacks expressing bafflement at someone choosing magic.

  2. His father leading him into a miniature secret world / turning into a gnome

    An extended, whimsical sequence depicting his father surrounded by tiny elderly relatives.

  3. Watching the British version of The X Factor

    Commentary on the dynamic and absurdity of the UK reality talent competition.

  4. The anxiety of reading out loud in school and friendships

    Relatable observations on adolescent embarrassments and how best friends act like worst enemies.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, raunchy, witty, and self-effacing.
On stage
Self-deprecating, diffident, and insecure, blending energetic fury and heart while inhabiting a wide range of characters.
Pace
A tangent-riddled, stream-of-consciousness narrative momentum characterized by sudden detours and animated physical act-outs.
About
Heartbreak and modern dating, Puberty and teenage sexual encounters, Male arrested development, Personal insecurity

What the critics said

Critical reception was positive, with reviewers praising Morin's narrative agility, engaging tangents, and ability to turn storytelling into a vibrant one-man sitcom performance.

In the room: Morin established an amicable, bantering dynamic with the New York crowd, playfully teasing them about their taxpayer demeanor.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, wikidata.org, en.wikipedia.org, pastemagazine.com, exclaim.ca, rottentomatoes.com, embed.release-stage.netflix.com.

Backstory

Framed around Morin's lack of household-name recognition, accompanied by the promotional tagline 'You may not have heard of me' and his belief in romance despite perpetual dating misfortune.

Details

Released
Taped
Gramercy Theatre, New York
Runtime
67 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Lance Bangs
Topics
After
The Standups (2018)

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