“Have you ever looked around at the boundless majesty of creation and wondered what all those forests, valleys, mountains and puddles are for?” asks investigative reporter Philomena Cunk (a fake name so incredibly stupid that Phoebe Buffay could have imagined it) at the start of their feature-length special: Cunk about lifewhich just appeared on Netflix shortly after premiering on BBC Two. It looks and sounds a lot like other brooding documentaries found in the streamer’s extensive library. Until the opening punch line: “Well I not, but others do.”

Cunk, of course, is the long-running and deliciously goofy character played by English actress and comedian Diane Morgan, who first appeared in ” Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe before breaking out with her own mockumentary series in 2018 Cunk over Britain and 2022 BAFTA-nominated Cunk on earth. She has taken on everything from Shakespeare to Christmas. And here she delves into the greatest mystery of all: the meaning of life and how people have tried to solve its mysteries through art, philosophy, religion and science.

“In this groundbreaking documentary special, I travel the world, walking in slow motion through scenic locations, getting up close and personal with some of the most important molecules in existence, and meeting and interviewing a variety of scientists, experts and professional mammals.” “One of the most significant Questions you can ask with your mouth,” our guide Meta proclaims in her trademark unwavering tone, just moments after calling giraffes “long-necked horse monsters.”

Morgan remains a god-class troll in the wide-ranging “documentary,” while Cunk sits across from Nobel Prize winners, neuroscientists, theological scholars and other big-brained folk to discuss creationism, evolution, nihilism and the roots of human existence. Unlike its predecessor with five episodes Cunk about life gives the presenter only 70 minutes to play, giving the proceedings a more distracted effect than those other mock documents. Divided into minute-long “chapters,” the special flashes the viewer through the Old Testament (“the first entry in the Christian film universe…Jesus is not in this one”), human physiology (“DNA is tiny but complex,” Tom Cruise”). and the works of Van Gogh (“a miserable redhead and self-earning vandal”). The short running time means that Cunk & Co. doesn’t delve too deeply into any of these varied topics, although the special still leaves plenty of room for a repeated gag with Morgan’s natural Bolton accent using the phrase “our souls” in ” Assholes” transformed.

As always, The true comedy of Cunk comes through that very The unqualified expert’s confusing interactions with these earnest intellectuals are more than silly asides like an in-depth bit about the fictional streaming service Streamberry (a Brooker’s crossover). Black mirror anthology) and, yes, a recurring homage to that Belgian dance anthem (Technotronics’ “Pump Up The Jams”). Certainly there are dark laughs to be found in segments like this Binko says don’t jump!, a children’s program parody about suicidal dolls, but the talking heads are the core of the show.



Their idiotic style of questioning only works because of the dumbfounded subjects – the slow blinks, the blank stares and the disappointed head shakes of the interviewees, while Cunk drops such stupid bombshells as “Has anyone ever taken responsibility for the big one?” so incredibly well, Bang works ? “So we’re no closer to finding someone to blame?” is what keeps the schtick from ever becoming stale. (A foolproof way to create an amusingly annoyed response respected experts? Just mention the word “ghosts.” Whether they’re in on the joke or not doesn’t matter much. (English professor Greg Dart (is either a ruthlessly polite person in real life or a damn good performer.) In fact, despite Morgan’s acting stupidity and genius timing, the biggest laugh might come from famed particle physicist Brian Cox, who – after having to listen to another misstep and a meandering anecdote about Cunk’s pal Paul, an ill-informed source of knowledge for our titular star – finally asks, “So what does Paul do?” Do?”

In an age increasingly and depressingly marked by anti-intellectualism, a deep distrust of the scientific community, and a decline in literacy and critical thinking, Philomena Cunk’s willful, self-conscious ignorance is less a comedic anomaly than a genuine, satirical reflection the number of people talking and thinking these days. (“Keep your answer understandable to our crazy viewers,” she instructs one interviewee with a wink.) It wouldn’t be so far-fetched if your own Aunt Carol posted on Facebook about whether “Michael AN Jello” actually lasted long Brushes or just had really long arms painting the Sistine Chapel, or for a world leader to utter the words “Las Vegas – that’s Spanish.” The Vegas” during a State of the Union address.

When Cunk criticizes: “What the fuck Is The?” while standing in front of an art historian and Pieter Bruegel the Elder Triumph of Deathshe might as well be a TikTok user complaining about the “point” of contemporary art. These days our understanding of everything is, well, shaped much more by social media than by Socratic questions. Philomena’s stupidity could be the punchline Cunk about lifebut the real joke is on us.