Man, they talk about death a whole lot in this Children’s-ish special don’t they?
John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch
Likes: Both humorous and profound, it never goes for the obvious joke. Also JAKE GYLLENHALL!
Dislikes: Some bits drag on too long.
Bottom Line: If Mulaney makes another one, I’ll watch it, and if he doesn’t, that will also be okay.
4.5 out of 5. ◆◆◆◆⬖
When John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch opens, you might think someone has hacked Netflix and given you an Errol Morris style documentary instead. Jacob, a kid with an adorable lisp, stares straight into camera and details his biggest fears (swimming) and why (drowning sounds like the worst way to die) in a two-minute cold open to what you thought was a children’s television special.
After all, you saw those fun advertisements with John Mulaney dancing with a bunch of kids, right? Well that’s definitely not how this thing starts. This strange stark talking head is repeated throughout the program with the child actors and the featured actors. (and “unfeatured” actors! – Natasha Lyonne and Annamarie Tendler Mulaney show up too!) The performers often talk about heavy subjects, like fear, funerals, and death.
Some highlights include Cordelia Comando explaining how a therapist forced her to dress up like a clown to combat her coulrophobia, Suri Marrero and Linder Sutton talking about how much Jordan Peele’s movies have scared them, and Andre De Shields giving a powerful statement about not letting fear control our lives.
All of this to say that the motif of talking heads gives what would otherwise be a perfectly enjoyable, silly, comedic variety special a thoughtful and sincere quality. The rest of the special is structured like an episode of Sesame Street with recommended books reviews, fuzzy costumed characters, and lots of music. The talking heads break that structure though and transforms performers into relatable people. It’s a way of deconstructing the trope of the children’s special in a truly unique way. So many projects edge into the territory “Wouldn’t it be weird if children’s shows were F-ed up??” like (although I love it) Brian Huskey with Mr. Neighbor’s House or Jim Carrey with Kidding. Sack Lunch Bunch on the other hand is willing to explore darkness, but not to revel in it. Which ultimately makes it a pretty hopeful piece of work.
But I am getting way weighed down by only half of this TV special. Not only does it have profound “out of the mouths of babes” moments, Sack Lunch Bunch is funny. Like, really funny. Like, “I actually laughed out loud funny” funny.
The dialogue is zippy and witty. John Mulaney is a master at effortlessly slipping jokes into longer speeches. (“A TV show for kids, by adults, with kids present.”) And the kids are just as capable and go beyond “cute-kid” acting into legitimate comedic timing. (“My top New York moment? I’m eating a slice of pizza at the Statue of Liberty. I walk around the corner and who do I see? All of the New York Yankees, and they’re all singing ‘New York, New York’!”) All the kid performers are great and have resumes on Broadway or in Hollywood longer than your arm.
Speaking of Broadway, there is a lot of music in this special. All of them are hilarious concepts and legit bangers. From Grandma’s Boyfriend Paul, to The Algebra Song (Where Andre De Shields as a math tutor convolutely explains the power of math), to Pay Attention (featuring David Byrne!), to I Saw a White Lady Standing on the Street Just Sobbing (And I Think About It Once a Week), and my personal favorite Music Music Everywhere! with a manic and underprepared Jake Gyllenhaal as “Mr. Music” who steals the show. The insane goofy energy he brings is perfect for the song. He’s seriously might be my favorite part of the entire program.
I only say “might be my favorite part” because there are so many other parts to Sack Lunch Bunch. There are entire sections I didn’t even mention that are so great. David Bryne is afraid of volcanos! The reveal that every cast member has an “in memoriam” picture! Richard Kind featured on Girl Talk! So much more! Go watch it! In fact, I’m going to go watch it again too!
Real Human Bing Movie Thoughts 