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Irresponsible

Kevin Hart

Netflix · 2019 · 60 min

Kevin Hart jokes about marriage, parenting, and his own bad decisions.

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Kevin Hart takes the stage at London’s O2 Arena with the defensive crouch of a man who knows his personal life has recently been all over the tabloids. Coming off a highly publicized extramarital extortion scandal, Hart frames the hour around his own poor decision-making, trading his usual triumph-of-will swagger for self-deprecation about his failures as a husband and parent.

Filmed during his massive 2018 world tour, the set eschews the cinematic, high-concept intros of his previous stadium specials. Instead, Hart walks out to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ and gets straight to work on a 360-degree stage in front of 15,000 fans. The material leans heavily into domestic life. He recounts the panic of a home burglary where his guard dog hid from the intruders, prompting him to buy nine guns and scatter them in secret compartments around his house. He also tackles the pressure of his second marriage, explaining that his current relationship simply has to work because he cannot afford to start over again.

Other bits find him on a ski trip in Aspen where he runs into the singer Seal, and panicking on a slow-moving tram in Japan because he mistook it for a high-speed roller coaster. Critical reception was somewhat mixed, with reviewers noting that the transitions between his domestic anecdotes can feel rushed, occasionally leaving stories hanging. Still, the massive arena crowd responded to the physical performance, particularly when Hart mimics the slow, halting movements of an elderly parent.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Getting caught by his children while having sex with his wife.

    Acts out various sex positions that parents can try to disguise as innocent everyday activities while mid-thrust.

  2. Catching a glimpse of his own dirty bare feet in a ceiling mirror during sex.

    Highlights his sudden feeling of unguarded vulnerability and physical insecurity.

  3. Discovering his wife's internet porn search history.

    Expresses wounded male pride and insecurity regarding his short stature upon seeing her searching for bigness.

  4. His daughter experiencing her first menstrual period.

    Depicts his awkward panic as an unprepared father by miming tossing a maxi pad at her like a grenade.

  5. His guard dog's useless behavior during a home burglary.

    Contrasts Hollywood action-hero fantasies with the reality of his dog hiding during the break-in.

  6. A terrifying roller coaster ride experience in Japan.

    Panics thinking his safety harness is completely unlatched, only to realize the vehicle is merely a slow tram shuttling riders to the actual roller coaster.

  7. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    A family ski trip to Aspen where the singer Seal ruins his vacation. closer

    Comically vents about having his self-declared 'Black Week' on the ski slopes spoiled by running into Seal, attempting to callback earlier routines across the set.

How it plays

Tone
Raunchy, irreverent, frantic, defensive, and confessional.
On stage
Anxious, high-strung, intensely physical, and ebullient, leaning into an emotionally repressed disciplinarian father figure and self-deprecating underdog.
Pace
Relentlessly fast, rushing-forward momentum that rarely pauses for breath, punctuated by vocal grunts, foot stomping, and animated facial contortions.
About
marriage and infidelity, parenting and discipline, personal mistakes and insecurity, travel mishaps, celebrity wealth

What the critics said

Reviewers highlighted Hart's undeniable physical comedy skills, command of the arena, and laugh-out-loud moments, but criticized the special for feeling incomplete and narratively rushed, noting that his rapid transitions frequently clipped jokes before their payoffs and favored image control over authentic vulnerability.

In the room: A sold-out arena crowd of over 15,000 spectators surrounding a square in-the-round stage, culminating in a confetti drop and standing ovation.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, qr.netflix.com, blu-ray.com, themoviedb.org, vulture.com, newyorker.com, saratogafalcon.org, pastemagazine.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed in the aftermath of a high-profile cheating and extortion scandal involving his second marriage, and prior to the public controversy surrounding his stepping down from hosting the Academy Awards due to resurfaced homophobic jokes.

Details

Released
Taped
O2 Arena, London
Runtime
60 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Leslie Small
Topics
Before
Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (2019)
After
Zero F**ks Given (2020)

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