Where to Stream: Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King

Powered by Reelgood

When most of us think about “prom night horrors” it has something to do with a Mike’s Hard Lemonade or an awkward sexual encounter. For The Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj, it’s a bit more than that. In his comedy special, Homecoming King, available now on Netflix, the host of this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner guides audiences on the roller coaster ride that is his life as a first generation Indian man in this country.

From his unique upbringing to the story of how he handed his gig on The Daily Show, Minhaj breathlessly and excitedly takes viewers on a journey unlike anything you’ve ever seen. His storytelling skills are top-notch, if a bit fast, but hey, there’s a lot to squeeze in to the 1 hour and 12 minute runtime. Minhaj’s stage presence is confident yet chill and frenetic yet intimate. No matter where you grew up, Minhaj’s account will be simultaneously eye-opening and relatable, because who likes going to Home Depot as a kid?

Maybe the most impressive aspect of Minhaj’s show is how exquisitely he’s balanced and timed out his ratios of belly laughs to gut punches. As soon as tears drip down your face from giggling too hard, they’re immediately chased by ones caused purely by emotions. Minhaj has crafted his biography into a stage show that is supremely touching, all too real, and way funnier than anything the rest of us have to offer.

The theme of the dorky outsider finding revenge in success is one we’ve all heard many times before, but not like this. Illustrated with tweets, career lowlights and informational graphics lit up on the colorful digital screen behind him that serves as equal parts stage decoration and presentation materials, it’s impossible not to be moved by Minhaj’s delivery of his story — one that could not be told at a more important time in this country.

While Minhaj hosted the WHCD and showed up at fancy events such as the Met Ball all in the last month, Homecoming King will prove to anyone who’s watched his every Daily Show segment to those just meeting him that this comedian has hardly scratched the surface of his career. He’s able to reach people, to make them feel those infamous feels while also being a highly effective funnyman. But above all, he’s a performer; the energy from this show can’t be bound inside a screen and you’ll feel it no matter where or what you’re watching on.

Keep in mind, this is the dude that stepped up and took the unenviable job of White House Correspondents’ Dinner Host during a year it was unsure if he’d even have an audience, and did much more than a commendable job. He boldly did what he does best: connect with people. Even the CNN table! Homecoming King is no exception, although a crowd of diverse millennials is a bit more of this sneakerhead’s thing.

From hip bloggers to their clueless parents, this comedy is special is one that all ages can and will enjoy. If you’re sitting out this year’s prom or the popular kid’s graduation party or even choosing your couch over a beach blanket for Memorial Day weekend, you’ll find staying home to watch Homecoming King to be a much more thrilling event than any of the invites hovering in your Facebook events section. Leave your political party, your skepticism, and your coolness at the door before you press play on this and let yourself hang out with a guy that’s simply human. He’s just a really, really funny one.

Where to watch Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King