John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch

2019

1h 10m

Comedy

Kids & Family

Variety

List

96%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Emmy Award Winning Comedian John Mulaney aims to recapture the magic of that bygone television era when children sang songs about their feelings with celebrity guests on funky outdoor sets. The result: John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch.

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Critics Consensus

With spectacular musical numbers, a smartly silly sensibility, and just the right amount of existential dread, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch is a joyous reminder that kindness and comedy can in fact go hand in hand.

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Charles H

good movie. would recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/24

Full Review

Patrick F

This was a much different project for John Mulaney and Netflix. Instead of a traditional standup special it's a children's musical comedy special that spoofs classic children's television series such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and The Great Space Coaster. It spoofs them in an endearing yet at times dark way. The child cast was terrific, the songs were silly, and the production felt very real to the shows it was making fun of. It felt like a series of Saturday Night Live skits made into a whole special. I applaud John and Netflix for thinking outside the box and presenting audiences with something so very different and still so funny.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/01/23

Full Review

Carlotta 4

Caveat of this review will be very much personal preference and not necessarily an indicator of technical quality. The thing that impressed me most in this show were the children actors, who did a great job both acting, singing, and dancing considering their ages. Fantastic work to all of them! But other than that (and the "music man" segment which had good energy and some jokes) I just didn't see the point of the show. It's a humor that doesn't jell with my own, I don't find children saying/doing adult things in and of itself hilarious--I think those things should also themselves be funny. This includes the musical segments of which 90% were pointless (no jokes, no quips... how is a kid singing about how he only eats macaroni either interesting or funny?!). There was no cohesive narrative either. The show is clearly imitating Sesame Street in particular but even Sesame street has a plot or word for the day to vaguely tie it together! This show did not. One random uneventful thing to another. So I spent the entire film really quite bored and glancing at the clock a lot. I don't need to delve too much further on that because I really do applaud the work the kids put into their parts, it didn't fail from lack of effort on their ends.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/24/21

Full Review

Audience Member

My husband's a huge fan of John's and he thought this was okay, but my kid thought it was weird. I thought it was a little strange and not for kids. It felt like it was trying too hard to be hip. Maybe that's the vibe? My kid has always hated "kids" shows, and has thought them creepy since forever. I must admit, after working many kids shows in my last theatre job, the people who tour with kids are not healthy people, nor do they understand children. I'm not saying John blasted the kids out of my theatre with raver jams until they were all screaming experiencing their first panic attack in hell as their ears bled to "Try it! Try it! Food is good" unsung by some martian furry puppet which can't move its mouth, but, he's better off with the stand-ups...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

When I think back on this show it makes me physically annoyed with how much of a failure this is. This is too alt for the alt room. It tries so hard to be the antithesis if children's programming and be cooler than the room and fails to understand what made those other things great. I wish I could forget this and if you enjoy it; you are lying to yourself. This is the opposite of entertainment. I'd rather stare at a blank wall

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Liam D

A fun, Charming, witty and Dark special This musical is a absolutely hilarious and insane ride

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/21

Full Review

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Rhys Thomas

Director

John Mulaney

Host

David Byrne

Guest

Andre De Shields

Guest

Natasha Lyonne

Guest

Annaleigh Ashford

Guest

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Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

The marvellously droll John Mulaney is in top form alongside a cohort of suitably arch mini-mes in this satirical take on old-fashioned children's TV specials.

Jan 22, 2020

Full Review

Brianna Wellen

Chicago Reader

Who knew a childless, 30-something white man from Chicago would be one of the most reliable soldiers in the fight against toxic masculinity and a champion for weird and wonderful kids everywhere?

Rated: 4/4

Jan 11, 2020

Full Review

Jason Zinoman

New York Times

Mulaney offers counterprogramming, a quirky variety show with a modern Broadway sensibility. At its best, and most fully realized, it feels like a program made by unusually sophisticated, precocious children for their friends.

Dec 31, 2019

Full Review

Matt Wilstein

The Daily Beast

OK, this one is more 1970s-style variety show than stand-up special, but it is delightful.

Mar 20, 2020

Full Review

Gena Radcliffe

The Spool

It's a most loving poke at a genre left behind in the age of irony, when people didn't care how silly they looked as long as they got a chance to entertain.

Jan 18, 2020

Full Review

Adam Mock

Film Inquiry

John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch is a definite recommend for a pretty wide audience. Perhaps not for those still watching children's programming but teens to adults will surely be entertained.

Jan 12, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Emmy Award Winning Comedian John Mulaney aims to recapture the magic of that bygone television era when children sang songs about their feelings with celebrity guests on funky outdoor sets. The result: John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch.

Director: Rhys Thomas
Screenwriter: John Mulaney, Marika Sawyer
Genre: Comedy, Kids & Family, Variety
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 10m