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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Nothing's the Same
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Nothing's the Same

Lokillo Florez

Netflix · 2021 · 63 min

A musical stand-up set about surviving quarantine in Colombia.

Lokillo Florez tackles the collective exhaustion of the post-pandemic return to society by turning the awkwardness of the “new normal” into a high-energy variety show. Backed by a live band, he riffs on the universal absurdities of the early 2020s, like the clinical precision required to wash one’s hands and the clumsy choreography of elbow-bumping acquaintances. The show shifts from observational stand-up into a musical comedy showcase when Florez brings out his popular dreadlocked alter ego, Rastacuando, who delivers a set of satirical, slow-strummed songs and bizarre parables. Filmed inside an abandoned railway station in Bello, Antioquia, with a small, socially distanced live audience, the 2021 Netflix release marked a massive moment in Colombian comedy. Produced by the Medellín-based Imaginer Films, it was the first Colombian Netflix special made by a production company outside of Bogotá. The special capped off a highly successful year for Florez, who had just made his feature-film acting debut in Mi otra yo two months prior. The production trades the typical theater backdrop for an industrial, rustic warehouse aesthetic, using the unusual venue to reflect a world that had been turned entirely upside down.

The set list

2 bits

  1. Latin Americans adjusting to pandemic-era no-hugging policies and bans on physical contact.

    Satirical exploration of how Latin Americans, accustomed to greeting friends and colleagues with hugs, had to adjust their behaviors, greetings, and language.

  2. Futuristic avatar and technology in modern existence.

    Utilizes holograms and a futuristic persona to playfully examine changing social realities.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, satirical, ironic, and playful.
On stage
Irreverent, expressive, minimalist, and unafraid to address controversial topics, combining absurdist storytelling with social commentary.
Pace
Exuberant, energetic, delivered with zeal and enthusiasm like a roller coaster ride.
About
COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, No-hugging policies and physical contact, Latin American versus American culture, Modern life and cultural identity in Latin America, Dating and work

What the critics said

A critical review in Leisurebyte described it as an entertaining, laugh-filled show praised for its absurdist storytelling, clever lines, and cultural humor that is funny without becoming crass.

In the room: Personal and lively atmosphere inside a warehouse venue, drawing an equal mix of laughs and groans from the crowd.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: netflix.com, flixpatrol.com, pro.imdb.com, imdb.com, leisurebyte.com, filmnoir.app.

Backstory

Filmed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health restrictions, examining how Latin Americans adapt to a new world defined by no-hugging policies and social distancing.

Details

Released
Taped
A warehouse
Runtime
63 min
Where
Netflix
Director
José Julián Gaviria, Yedinson Flórez
Topics

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