Netflix is reigning in the comedy arena, providing you with the well-earned laughter dose. With the wide variety of shows to choose from, we came up with the pick of the best standup on Netflix Australia you don’t want to miss.
Some of these picks saved a place in the list of the best shows on Netflix Australia and will keep you informed and entertained. The topics vary from politics to fatherhood, from sex to feminism, from global issues to hangovers.
Without any further delay, let’s dive into the realm of standup comedy and make way for unlimited laughter.
45 Best Standup on Netflix Australia [Updated 2022]
1. 23 Hours to Kill
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Director(s): Joe DeMaio, Steven Rimdzius, Jerry Seinfeld (Writer)
Stars: Jerry Seinfeld
Runtime: 1 Hour
Jerry Seinfeld’s new hour-long special, Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill, cements his status as standup comedy’s master craftsman.
The special premiered on Netflix on May 5, 2020, features a dramatic entrance at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and Seinfeld’s keen perspectives on ordinary life, revealing humor in the mundane.
2. A Speck of Dust
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Director(s): Liam Lynch, Sarah Silverman (Writer)
Stars: Sarah Silverman, Troy
Runtime: 1h 11m
Sarah Silverman has built a living out of shocking people. She’s recognized for her outspoken style of humor and her ability to crack jokes on everything from AIDs to sexual assault to the Holocaust.
Silverman’s performance seemed to have grown a little this time, abandoning the crisp one-liners in favor of playing the long game with running gags on personal experiences.
3. Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Director(s): David Paul Meyer, Trevor Noah (Writer)
Stars: Trevor Noah
Runtime: 1h 7m
Trevor Noah has managed to combine his outsider status with astute observations on American society and politics. He does the same in his debut Netflix special. He recounts his journey to America and uses various accents to comment on the increasing nationalistic tendency that is impacting the entire world right now.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Noah manages to make us chuckle, making his show one of the best standup on Netflix Australia to watch right now.
4. Amy Schumer Growing
IMDB Rating: 5.2/10
Director(s): Amy Schumer (Writer)
Stars: Amy Schumer
Runtime: 1 Hour
Amy Schumer’s standup evolves in an hour loaded with succinct insights on aging and marriage, punctuated by relatively minor Growing Pains as the comic re-energizes her humorous voice.
She discusses marriage, pregnancy, and personal growth in a surprisingly honest and funny manner. The comic talks about the delights of femininity, settling into married happiness, and yes, you got it, sex, in front of a full crowd in Chicago.
5. Jim Jefferies : BARE
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Director(s): Shannon Hartman, Jim Jefferies (Writer)
Stars: Jim Jefferies
Runtime: 1h 17m
Jim Jefferies is an Australian comedian who isn’t new to comedy. He spends his session talking about the issue of gun control in the US. He is a fan of poking fun at different political stances.
Fatherhood brought an additional component to his stance, and he now talks about the suffering of a new father.
6. Jim Gaffigan: Cinco
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
Director(s): Jeannie Gaffigan
Stars: Jim Gaffigan, Marre Gaffigan, Katie Gaffigan
Runtime: 1h 13m
Jim Gaffigan clings to what he knows: parenting, being a proud couch potato, eating junk food, and so on. What’s always remarkable about Gaffigan’s show is how he manages to reinvent the wheel, extracting fresh laughs from age-old circumstances like our binge-watching fixation and his love-hate relationship with food.
7. Tom Segura: Disgraceful
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Director(s): Jay Karas, Tom Segura (Writer)
Stars: Tom Segura
Runtime: 1h 11m
Tom Segura’s third Netflix special feels at ease, as if the comic understands how streaming works and isn’t afraid to join in.
He has relevant stuff, such as gags about PC culture and the like, as well as relatable humor, particularly when it comes to parenthood.
8. Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Director(s): Steve Paley, Iliza Shlesinger (Writer)
Stars: Hunter Hill, Iliza Shlesinger
Runtime: 1h 12m
Elder Millenial teaches guys all they need to know about women. For those with a Y chromosome, this may sound off-putting.
Still, Iliza Shlesinger manages to poke fun at everyone this time around, cracking jokes about society’s fixation on women finding spouses, having babies, and hiding their inner-she-dragons.
9. Marc Maron: End Times Fun
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Director(s): Lynn Shelton, Marc Maron (Writer)
Stars: Marc Maron
Runtime: 1h 11m
The comic, who spoke with UPROXX about the process of creating a Mike Pence penis joke, discuss everything from doomsday planning to the overabundance of politics in the media to vitamin hoarders.
He never shies away from contentious, hard-hitting news commentary, but he elevates crude comedy and incisive satire to something that seems pleasurable and uniting, rather than divisive.
10. Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Director(s): Marcus Raboy, Anthony Jeselnik (Writer)
Stars: Anthony Jeselnik
Runtime: 1h 4m
Anthony Jeselnik’s whole stand-up performance is built around fabrication rather than exaggeration, as is typical of most comics; he’s portraying a character, a made-up psychopathic supervillain who invites you to laugh at his boundary-pushing, pitch-dark humor because the persona is too bizarre to be believed.
11. Katt Williams: Great America
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Director(s): Leslie Small, Katt Williams (Writer)
Stars: Katt Williams
Runtime: 1 Hour
Williams has always been one of the hardest-working comedians onstage, straining himself and the audience physically and emotionally.
He’s not nearly as athletic as he once was, but he makes light of it by making jokes about growing older and the importance of savoring your youth while you still have it.
As a result, Williams makes fun of himself for slowing down and being more prone to catastrophic injury without effort.
12. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Director(s): Christopher Storer, Hasan Minhaj (Writer)
Stars: Hasan Minhaj
Runtime: 1h 13m
Hassan Minaj is a comic genius, and Homecoming King is the reflection of it. His comic description of Indian-American belonging and the cultural difference make the show one of the best standup on Netflix Australia.
When it comes to the sessions by Hassan, you can count on some harsh truths with the icing of humor, including Trump’s presidency mishap, Muslim bans, and other issues faced by brown men in America.
13. Bo Burnham: Inside
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
Director(s): Bo Burnham
Stars: Bo Burnham
Runtime: 1h 27m
Burnham goes darker, producing full bangers on anything from the white savior complex to cancel culture, toxic masculinity, melancholy, and global economic injustice, all with self-deprecating comedy and infectious rhythms.
It’s one of the most beneficial things to emerge from quarantine, and his stance makes the sessions one of the best standup on Netflix Australia.
14. Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History
IMDB Rating: 5.5/10
Director(s): Tom Stern
Stars: Steve Agee, Derek Basco, Brad Berryhill
Runtime: 1h 2m
Through a series of reenactments, the one-hour show explores the lives of unsung black heroes. Viewers will learn about polar explorer Matthew Henson, astronaut Mae Jemison, and performer-turned-Allied spy Josephine Baker.
15. John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
Director(s): Alex Timbers, John Mulaney (Writer)
Stars: John Mulaney, Jon Brion, Carole Shelley
Runtime: 1h 5m
Mulaney’s trademark good-natured charm eviscerates pretty about everything (school assemblies, aging, etiquette, church). He even manages to get into the thorny political realm with horse parallels and a refusal to name a particular orange-haired president.
16. Eric Andre: Legalize Everything
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Director(s): Eric Notarnicola
Stars: Eric André
Runtime: 51m
Eric Andre does a hilarious and relevant stand-up routine making it one of the best standup on Netflix Australia. It’s a mash-up of scathing jabs at the defunct Cops docuseries, Xanax blackouts, satirical history lectures about John Calvin and Puritanism, and Tupac holograms.
17. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Director(s): Jeff Margolis
Stars: Richard Pryor, Patti LaBelle, Huey P. Newton
Runtime: 1h 18m
Richard Pryor’s landmark 1979 film Live in Concert is a must-see for any comedy fan with a Netflix membership. Live in Concert was the first feature-length film to focus solely on a stand-up comedy act, and it was directed by the famous concert filmmaker Jeff Margolis.
18. Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Director(s): Neal Brennan, Seth Meyers (Writer)
Stars: Jonathan Chacko, Seth Meyers
Runtime: 1h 1m
Seth Meyers opens up about parenthood and that harrowing delivery tale – his wife went into labor in the lobby of their building — while gleaning laughs from the most absurd events in his life.
He brings his usual charisma and charm to the stage, but he appears most at ease when aiming his humor at himself, for our amusement.
19. David Cross: Making America Great Again!
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
Director(s): Alex Coletti, David Cross (Writer)
Stars: David Cross
Runtime: 1h 14m
David Cross blasts Donald Trump, religious taboos, and American arrogance on a funny yet controversial comedy night. It’s a wonderful example of the comic’s willingness to go to great lengths to avoid rehashing old jokes.
20. Hannah Gadsby: Nanette
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Director(s): Jon Olb, Madeleine Parry, Hannah Gadsby (Writer)
Stars: Hannah Gadsby
Runtime: 1h 9m
You are living under the rock if you enjoy the amazing stand-up session brought by Hannah Gadsby. She is an Australian comic bringing you a dose of humor, laughter, and sarcasm.
Gadsby’s routine focuses on the delights and challenges of being a queer woman, her youth in Tasmania, her admiration for Monica Lewinsky, her analysis of why sexuality and comedy go hand in hand.
She also aims her early inspirations, guys like Louis C.K., who have now turned into an issue and make her session one of the best standup on Netflix Australia.
21. Wanda Sykes: Not Normal
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Director(s): Linda Mendoza, Wanda Sykes (Writer)
Stars: Wanda Sykes
Runtime: 1 Hour
Wanda Sykes’s session covers everything from Trump to aging and body image with self-aware humor and good-natured pessimism that feels approachable, conversational, and academically useful.
Sykes can crack jokes about 45, speculate about old age, moan about relationships, and more with a laid-back charm that only helps to emphasize her true message: things aren’t normal right now.
22. Oh, Hello on Broadway
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
Director(s): Michael John Warren, Alex Timbers
Stars: Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Steve Martin
Runtime: 1h 44m
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney are parodies of a generally shared plight: older relatives with erroneous beliefs who aren’t afraid to crack a racial joke.
In the realm of comedy, boomers are an obvious target. Still, Kroll and Mulaney elevate their program to more than merely ridiculing the elderly by refusing to follow a standard formula.
23. Urzila Carlson: Overqualified Loser
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Director(s): Hayden Guppy
Stars: Urzila Carlson
Runtime: 1h 2m
Urzila Carlson, a stand-up comic, keeps the audience roaring with her musings on recasting “The Biggest Loser,” sex video regrets, and boxed wine hangovers.
The Australian comic knows what points to raise to get the audience’s reaction, making it one of the best standup on Netflix Australia.
24. W. Kamau Bell: Private School Negro
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
Director(s): Shannon Hartman, W. Kamau Bell (Writer)
Stars: W. Kamau Bell
Runtime: 1h 5m
Kamau Bell and his wife try to instill hope and optimism in their kids. Bell joked that he could have found one answer in a woke children’s cartoon TV show.
He also entertains us by punctuating some of his punchlines by shouting them triumphantly into the sky, à la Oprah Winfrey.
25. Aziz Ansari: RIGHT NOW
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
Director(s): Spike Jonze, Aziz Ansari (Writer)
Stars: Aziz Ansari
Runtime: 1h 5m
Following claims of sexual harassment, Aziz Ansari’s debut Netflix special is an exercise in current comic criticism.
He discusses wokeness, the value of family, and, yes, the #MeToo debate in a hilariously profound way.
It’s a rare glimpse at a performer ready to sift through the layers of celebrity and self-preservation to uncover something more universal and thus meaningful.
26. Jenny Slate: Stage Fright
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
Director(s): Gillian Robespierre, Jenny Slate (Writer)
Stars: Jenny Slate
Runtime: 1h 6m
Jenny Slate has created a show that is equal parts stand-up comedy and documentary. Slate takes viewers on a journey through her life, youth, and career, interspersing video and confessionals with behind-the-scenes pieces that demonstrate her comic talent.
27. Fred Armisen: Standup For Drummers
IMDB Rating: 5.8/10
Director(s): Lance Bangs
Stars: Fred Armisen, Clem Burke, Vinnie Colaiuta
Runtime: 1h 5m
Fred Armisen, a comedian, and drummer deliver stand-up comedy, music, and skits for a crowd of drummers.
In the end, it feels like something only Armisen could come up with. Yet, even if the rhythm is often difficult to follow, the fact that it exists is a small miracle.
28. Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Director(s): Ryan Polito, Tracy Morgan (Writer)
Stars: Tracy Morgan
Runtime: 1 Hour
Tracy Morgan’s show is full of “F” words, “B” words, and “P” words. Morgan has previously sparked debate with his quips. But, as with all humor, mileage varies from listener to listener and from joke to joke for any particular listener.
29. Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Director(s): Patton Oswalt
Stars: Patton Oswalt, Boots Riley
Runtime: 1h 5m
In this specific humorous performance, the very nerdy, opinionated, and truly great performer doesn’t hold back on the more important, serious problems facing modern society.
Things include Donald Trump’s absurd presidential campaign, the wonders of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and the joyous hazards of parenting are focused on by Patton Oswalt.
30. Chris Rock: Tamborine
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Director(s): Bo Burnham, Chris Rock(Writer)
Stars: Chris Rock, Spike Lee
Runtime: 1h 38m
In Brooklyn, Chris Rock performs a comedy show packed with biting insights on parenting, adultery, and American politics.
While racial criticism has always been Rock’s lingua franca, and there’s enough of that in Tamborine, he has the most to say about the politics of love.
31. The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
Director(s): N/A
Stars: Dave Chappelle
Runtime: 67m
When scrolling through Netflix’s comedy selections, it’s tough to miss Dave Chappelle. The sessions are either more evidence of his genius or symptoms of a superstar striving to stay relevant in society.
Critics and fans alike agree that Spin is one of Chappelle’s best comedic efforts in recent memory. But, of course, because we’re talking about Dave Chappelle, none of his routines are without controversy.
32. Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
Director(s): Ryan Polito, Nate Bargatze (Writer)
Stars: Nate Bargatze
Runtime: 1 Hour
Bargatze never makes a fool of himself. His “not clever” insights belie his actual comic brilliance, as he calls them. He isn’t gullible. And he’s never arrogant.
Bargatze’s wit also allows for some deliberately ridiculous embellishments, such as giving the family dog feelings and fictitious language for each of the events he nostalgically recalls.
33. Anthony Jeselnik: Thoughts and Prayers
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Director(s): Adam Dubin, Anthony Jeselnik (Writer)
Stars: Anthony Jeselnik, Peggy
Runtime: 59m
Whether he’s on stage or tweeting, his humor is delightfully caustic, and it’s earned him a slew of enemies.
If you’re in the mood to chuckle while also feeling bad about yourself, Anthony Jeselnik’s comedy show Thoughts and Prayers is for you.
34. Donald Glover: Weirdo
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
Director(s): Shannon Hartman, Donald Glover (Writer)
Stars: Donald Glover
Runtime: 1h 5m
Donald Glover spends his time on stage discussing sex, race, and feces, many poop jokes. He also gets serious about his attempts to fit in as a child and the absence of black superheroes on screen.
35. Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Director(s): Brian Klein, Amanda Baker
Stars: Jimmy Carr
Runtime: 59m
If sensitive, avoid His Dark Material comedy. Jimmy Carr’s comedy is somehow confrontational and, at the same time, funny. And this is clear from his disclaimers at the start, that his jokes contain terrible things -a perfect fit for those who love dark comedy.
Some of Carr’s comedy concerns the pandemic hit, depicting how he builds up tension and then releases it. This way he offends and mends even those who never think a joke can’t do in such moments.
Jimmy Carr is not the guy who will hide or confuse you with his intentions; he throws them randomly. He is quite a naughty dude.
36. Russell Peters: Almost Famous
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Director(s): David Higby
Stars: Russell Peters, Jus Reign
Runtime: 1h 13m
With Russell’s accent, you can’t avoid the laughter. His visit to Toronto’s Massey Hall for the performance is a great deal for audience engagement.
Russell has some of the jokes that may live long for years. And that’s probably one of the things that make him so famous.
He was responsible for the first original stand-up on Netflix. And no doubt the Almost Famous is the best stand up specials of all time.
37. James Acaster: Repertoire
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Director(s): Daniel Lucchesi
Stars: James Acaster, Stuart Laws, Joe Parham
Runtime: 1 Season
Are you fend up by stand-up comedy lately and feel nothing is funny? Then James Acaster: Repertoire is one best stand up comedy on Netflix Australia that you can dare miss.
The special standup comedy with four episodes is a real comic. All have almost the same theme and narrative. These include recognize, represent, reset and recap.
It’s a comedy that has been uniquely performed without any dreary artifice or dull edge. Indeed James Acaster is a master storyteller, one who taps the veins of the audience’s emotional energy.
38. Michelle Wolf: Joke Show
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Director(s): Lance Bangs
Stars: Michelle Wolf
Runtime: 59m
Michelle Wolf is one of the top stand up comedians who finds humor in everything, from sexism to politics to menstruations and much more.
A jack of all trade!
She has a subtle way of constructing her jokes. Besides, he claims she learned about vulgarity from Trump. And her vulgarity was expressed by one reporter after the infamous White House Correspondents Dinner as one who is pretty vulgar.
Joke Show is one great comedian piece and definitely worth qualifying to our list of the best stand up specials on Netflix Australia.
39. Reggie Watts: Spatial
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Director(s): Benjamin Dickinson
Stars: Rory Scovel, Reggie Watts
Runtime: 1h 1m
Watts is one of the best stand up comedians on Netflix Australia who is also amiable and one who ad-libs flawlessly. Most of the Spatial bulk is made up of atypical comedy. The comedy delivers a blend of jokes involving drugs, guns, and pulling lyrics from his head, among other spontaneous jesting exploits.
You can’t dare miss the 60 minutes of opening comedy filled with gags. For the Spatial, he claimed he only needed a good location and some light structures for the go. Reggie testifies that he doesn’t need the confidence to perform as other comedians do.
He hates to be prepared to move on stage. It’s all about experiments and owning them.
40. Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Director(s): Jay Karas
Stars: Ali Wong
Runtime: 1h 4m
Ali Wong, one of the rising comedians on Netflix, showed up on One of the Best Standups on Netflix. After her First stand-up, Baby Cobra, she comes again with her second original stand-up, In which she talks about the hardships of a mother in a hilarious way that makes the listener chuckle.
41. Chris Rock Total Blackout: The Tambourine Extended Cut
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Director(s): Chris Rock
Stars: Chris Rock
Runtime: 1h 37m
Chris Rock is back!! Not only that but with an extended cut of his stand-up done in 2018. By far, this is one of the most outstanding performances based on his previous stand-up, but there is a catch this performance shows never before seen jokes, which makes it unique with its genre. That’s how Chris rises as a star as one of the best standups on Netflix Australia.
42. Felipe Esparza – Bad Decisions
IMDb Rating: 6/10
Director(s): Mark Ritchie
Stars: Felipe Esparza
Runtime: 63min
Felipe Esparza is a comedian who shows up with his two-part special Netflix, One in English and the other in Spanish. The idea of delivering the same jokes in different languages creates curiosity among adults, which is exactly what Felipe has created. What’s that!! In which is the funnier, you ask? English or Spanish? You’ll find out yourself in one of the Best Stand-ups on Netflix Australia.
43. Maria Bamford – Old Baby
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Director(s): Jessica Yu
Stars: Maria Bamford, River Butcher, Melinda Hill, Alex Blue Davis, Martin Yu
Runtime: 1h 4m
Maria Bamford is a cheerful and energetic woman despite her age, and while she is aging, she is becoming more of an old baby. She is confident and has a flexible standup throughout her special and literally “There’s no place she won’t stand up” the roving special around LA in places like park benches bowling alleys brings a new meaning to the word stand-up, and that’s what makes this one of the Best Stand-up on Netflix Australia.
44. Nate Bargatze – The Greatest Average America
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Director(s): Troy Miller
Stars: Nate Bargatze
Runtime: 1 hour
Nate Bargatze haves a stand-up during the tough times of covid, and despite the precautions and distance between the audience, Nate keeps the atmosphere cheerful. In this hour, Nates Reflects on his generation with sharp observation and hilarious insight into one’s regular life and family, like how it’s like seeing your parent’s age. What’s more? You can find it out in the greatest average American on the Best Stand-up on Netflix Australia.
45. Norm Macdonald – Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Director(s): Liz Plonka
Stars: Norm Macdonald
Runtime: 1h 1m
Norm has returned with his old but quirky humor in an ever-changing world. He lures the audience into his world of trikes and observation, not to mention that his show has been all about as he says, “Like, most of my act is just, you know,…uh, gossip and trickery.” With this, he rises to become one of the Best stand-ups on Netflix Australia.
Closing
Though you can watch anything and everything on Netflix Australia, including comedy, thriller, horror shows, suspense, horror movies, cartoon, anime, mystery movies, romance, cooking shows, sci-fi, reality, emotional drama, and documentaries – you cannot get better than standups.
With our list of the best standup on Netflix Australia, you have the humor fix for months. Happy Streaming!