The Birthday Boys
IFC | Release Date: October 18, 2013
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Entertainment WeeklyRay RahmanOct 10, 2014
Season 2 Review: Whether lampooning political cartoonists or mocking indie-rock tropes, the team continues to shine at silly, Mr. Show-style comedy. [17 Oct 2014, p.63]
83
Entertainment WeeklyRay RahmanOct 17, 2013
Season 1 Review: The high-energy group's smart, counterintuitive brand of absurdism is especially reminiscent of The State. [18 Oct 2013, p.61] Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubJosh ModellOct 17, 2013
Season 1 Review: It seems like they’re trying to build a little universe of their own, on the shoulders of the most notable sketch shows of the past. It’s a show worthy of attention for that reason alone, and doubly so because it’s often funny as hell. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydOct 18, 2013
Season 1 Review: The two episodes I've seen are very good--engagingly twisted, more invested in ideas than jokes, often funny, usually admirable. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandOct 15, 2013
Season 1 Review: This is not sophisticated, drawing-room humor. It's closest to what they used to call college humor, and what is now considered stoned humor. But beneath the silliness is gentle but still dead-on satire that makes The Birthday Boys worth a look and a laugh. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Matt Zoller SeitzOct 18, 2013
Season 1 Review: The more frequently Birthday Boys returns to seemingly unfunny or barely funny bits, the funnier they eventually become--another Python borrowing, and a good one. Read full review
70
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenOct 18, 2013
Season 1 Review: The Birthday Boys is a consistently funny show for viewers who are regular consumers of pop culture and recognize the elements from TV and film that are being spoofed. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerOct 17, 2013
Season 1 Review: If you are reaching the saturation point with this type of sketch work, The Birthday Boys may cause you to sigh at the sameness of it all. But if you’ve stayed away from those other yucksters, these ones provide fairly consistent midlevel laughs. Read full review
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