The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words
Comedy · Music · 2010
Bo Burnham is back with a new one-man show full of his patented songs and wordplay, as well as haikus, dramatic readings, blasphemy, and so much more in his first hour-long special, shot live in his home town of Boston.
Movie details
Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words
2010 Comedy · Music 1h 2m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
8.0 / 10
4.6K votes
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Bo Burnham is back with a new one-man show full of his patented songs and wordplay, as well as haikus, dramatic readings, blasphemy, and so much more in his first hour-long special, shot live in his home town of Boston.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
Comedy · 2018
Adam Sandler takes his comical musical musings back out on the road, from comedy clubs to concert halls to one very unsuspecting subway station.
Bo Burnham: Make Happy
Comedy · 2016
Combining his trademark wit and self-deprecating humor with original music, Bo Burnham offers up his unique twist on life in this stand-up special about life, death, sexuality, hypocrisy, mental illness and Pringles cans.
A Mighty Wind
Comedy · 2003
Three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son.
Bo Burnham: The Inside Outtakes
Comedy · 2022
Exactly one year after the release of the one man show, "Bo Burnham: Inside" (made in one room, by one person, throughout the pandemic,) comes a series of unseen outtakes, deleted scenes, alternative versions of songs, and new songs unused from the special.
Dave Chappelle: The Closer
Comedy · 2021
As he closes out his slate of comedy specials, Dave takes the stage to try and set the record straight — and get a few things off his chest.
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity
Comedy · 2017
Comedy legend Dave Chappelle returns to his roots with an all-new stand-up special filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years
Comedy · 2025
In what might be his most personal and introspective hour yet, Bill offers hilarious takes on everything from male sadness to dating advice.
Ricky Gervais: Humanity
Comedy · 2018
In his first special in seven years, Ricky Gervais slings his trademark snark at celebrity, mortality and a society that takes everything personally.
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs
Comedy · 2023
In a rowdy stand-up set, Shane Gillis riffs on his girlfriend's Navy SEAL ex, touring George Washington's house and being bullied by an Australian Goth.
Ricky Gervais: Mortality
Comedy · 2025
Ricky Gervais tackles life, death and the state of the world in a brutally honest special that spares no topic, even his own mortality.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Shannon Hartman
Written by
Bo Burnham
Bo Burnham
Self
Court is in session
Put Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.