Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester

Minhaj has always been more of an engaging storyteller than a joke craftsman. In this special, he remains in full control of the audience, masterfully pulling “awwwws” and applause breaks out of them with the greatest of ease.

It’s brash, Minhaj’s self-mockery feels like a smokescreen for self-regard and the sentimental conclusions are packaged too neatly for me – but not for Minhaj’s US crowd, who cheer the schmaltzy moments to the rafters.

He wants the audience to feel moved. It also feels like someone might pass around a pamphlet on how to make good life choices. It might be a relief if someone did, actually. It would be a way to laugh at his own performance, to acknowledge how overwrought and overdetermined it sometimes feels. ... The material of The King’s Jester makes it noteworthy. That fact remains true, though you do wish Minhaj could stop trying to convince you of how noteworthy it all is.