Patton Oswalt: We All Scream

The special really takes off at the end when he turns toward the future and what the country might look like if it continues in the direction it’s been heading in recent years. ... Ultimately, Oswalt doesn’t need to punch down because he is so good at making himself the punchline.

His material in We All Scream isn’t the strongest, but Oswalt’s still such a charming and familiar presence that I can’t say I disliked the special.

The best joke in Patton Oswalt’s new Netflix special, We All Scream, starts with Oswalt attempting to explain his experience of the pandemic. ... Much of the rest of the special feels so thin by comparison and regrettable because it means the most memorable joke in an otherwise meager special is a description of an unfinished project that’s been polished up to make it look complete. What’s supposed to be a packed barn full of clown pubes is, sadly, several hairs short of a bush.

All of which just makes it seem as though Oswalt didn’t write enough material in lockdown, but wanted to or felt he was obligated to deliver another special this year, so here we are. ... Skip it. Unless you’re a die-hard Patton Oswalt fan, in which case you’ll stream it, lovingly enjoy the best parts and forgive the rest anyhow.