JERRY BEFORE SEINFELD

Jerry Seinfeld was the comic voice of the ’90s. But in the iconic ‘show about nothing’— beamed to 35 million American households at the peak of its popularity—Seinfeld mostly delivered lines written by Larry David. Of course, the real Jerry is a real standup comedian too, though the show featured only brief snippets from his act. 30 years later, his Netflix special,

Jerry Before Seinfeld, is a masterclass in the craft— proving that his signature style is still relevant.

Jerry features the first two jokes Seinfeld ever told (that worked), making it essential viewing for comedy and Seinfeld fans alike. Long-time admirers will also be delighted with his riffs on the burning philosophical questions of our times—“why do you get on the train?” and “what do you do with Uber?”

Directed by Michael Bonfiglio, Jerry traces a remarkable career, and appears as loving homage to the man. It is part biopic, part documentary, and part classic Seinfeld—meaning eternal, not old.

As Jerry talks about his beginnings in comedy, a few moments in his career stand out as testaments to how effortlessly he spanned several eras. When he was first breaking out, for instance, he appeared on The Tonight Show when the host was still the inimitable Johnny Carson. It’s not all laughs, either. Seinfeld throws open his childhood and early influences, introducing fans to the kid from Massapequa who just wanted to become a great comic, alongside Jerry Seinfeld—a master of the art. At times we almost get to see one turning into the other.