Matt Rife, the 28-year-old stand-up comedian and social media sensation confronts his critics head-on in his latest Netflix comedy special, 'Lucid.' The feature captures Rife's unique comedic style, where he leverages audience responses to deliver witty one-liners and hilariously authentic experiences. 'Lucid' was filmed at the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it proudly serves as Netflix's first all-crowd work special.
Rife's journey into comedy goes back to his teenage years, with performances at the Comedy Zone. Now, he's a successful mainstream comedian, known for his bold comedy that often features explicit themes and jokes. 'Lucid' is directed by Erik Griffin, a frequent collaborator, and presents Rife as an experienced MC, perfectly balanced between covering interesting responses from his audience and sidestepping uninteresting comedic dead ends.
The comedy special involves a significant amount of conversation based on the concept of dreams, and it's not entirely spontaneous as its premise may suggest. While Rife starts with expected roasting - like mocking an audience member's 'Santa’s favorite elf' look, the majority of the hour goes into an orchestrated dialogue about aspirational dreams and literal dreams.
Although Rife's facilitation skills are competent, 'Lucid' lacks the thrill of absolute spontaneity. The culmination of the comedy special settles into more adolescent sex stories, which provide ample comic relief.
For the past few years, Netflix has refocused its comedy content, transitioning from premium or diverse offerings to more populist taste. 'Lucid' represents this switch as critics are no longer the target audience, as evident from the lack of advance screeners for 'Lucid'.
The streaming service has partnered with prominent male comedians like Rife, Joe Rogan, and Shane Gillis, who offer straightforward, often controversial humor in a culture war setting. 'Matt Rife: Lucid' is now accessible for streaming on Netflix.
