One of the signs of a truly special comedy is when you need to watch it a second time to catch all the jokes you missed the first time around. And trust me when I say you’ll need to stream “Cunk on Life” a couple of times, as you’ll miss dozens of gags initially through your tears of laughter.
This comedy documentary (or mockumentary, if you will) debuted on the BBC in its native U.K. over the festive period, but has now arrived on Netflix in the U.S. (as of Jan. 2). American viewers familiar with Philomena Cunk will be rejoicing at this news, and if you’ve never heard of the comedy presenter (played by the fantastic British comedian Diane Morgan), you’re in for an even bigger treat. Cunk is one of the best comedy characters ever created.
After tackling subject matters like the history of Britain and the Earth itself, in her latest feature-length special, Philomena Cunk is tackling the biggest mystery of all: The meaning of life.
Of course, in classic Cunk style, her musings don’t extend beyond bizarre observations about the miracle of birth and questioning the nature of atoms (“Are thoughts made of atoms?”). If you appreciate deadpan comedy, here’s why this is the funniest thing you can watch on Netflix right now.
What is ‘Cunk on Life’ about?
“Cunk on Life” is a 75-minute television special that follows in the steps of the equally excellent “Cunk on Earth,” and sees the eponymous presenter travel across the world (or at least, to all the places her producer can afford to send her) to question various experts on the meaning of existence, as she tries to understand humanity's ultimate purpose on this big blue planet.
Covering a range of topics from Michelangelo’s process for painting the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to the gory process of childbirth each step of the journey is delivered with Cunk’s trademark deadpan humor. As with previous Cunk-fronted documentaries, the character also interviews numerous experts and confuses, befuddles and just generally annoys them with her nonsensical observations and scattershot approach to asking questions.
If you’re looking for a genuine answer to some of the biggest questions humankind has faced for generations, "Cunk on Life" won't provide you with any new revelations (unless you count the fact that Cunk believes only 40% of humans have a skeleton). However, if you want something utterly crammed to bursting with fantastic one-liners and witty gags, put it on your watchlist now.
Stream ‘Cunk on Life’ on Netflix right now
Philomena Cunk’s dry sarcastic, and intentionally ludicrous remarks, won’t appeal to every viewer — if you’re looking for broader comedy steer clear — but if you can appreciate the character's highly silly (but intelligently written) style of humor, then “Cunk on Life” is a Netflix must-watch.
There’s an element of recency bias here but “Cunk on Life” might be my favorite slice of the character to date. And that’s not a small compliment as I’ve been watching Cunk since her inception on Charlie Brooker’s “Weekly Wipe." There are so many laugh-out-loud gags that picking my favorite is impossible but when Cunk referred to the Old Testament as the first entry in the Christian Cinematic Universe I had to pause as I was laughing so much.
“Cunk on Life” is just one of a handful of quality new additions to Netflix to kick-start 2025. The streaming service has also added the bingeable thriller series “Missing You,” and the latest movie starring everybody’s favorite plasticine pair, “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” Be sure to check out our full rundown of what’s new on Netflix in January 2025.
Stream "Cunk on Life" on Netflix now
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