Kevin Hart and Chris Rock Headliners Only movie review: Netflix’s humourless profile of comedy icons is strictly for fans

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When the plan fails spectacularly — Rock is clearly embarrassed, and the goat begins pooping all over the stage — you’re left with no choice but to admire the level of lunacy on display, and more pertinently, wonder why they simply didn’t edit this portion out. Sure, the moment was widely shared online when it actually happened last year, but still. Must everybody participate in second-hand cringe? Even though Rock was obviously not into it, and Dave Chappelle — we’ll get to him in a moment — had jumped ship at the first opportunity, Hart continued to pretend like this overly performative gesture was actually genuine. And this, in many ways, is the vibe of this entire enterprise.

Hart, we’re told, wanted to model this show on the same lines as The Original Kings of Comedy, and while Rock readily agreed, Chappelle said no. He eventually showed up just the one time to support his friends. But it’s clear that he wanted no part of this larger fiasco. Again, why they chose to retain these bits in the documentary are baffling. There’s confusion on screen, but the film doesn’t seem to clock it. In fact, they don’t even show a minute of the actual comedy that was performed on this ‘historic’ show, which only adds to the sneaking suspicion that Netflix is saving the the material for later, or — and this is more likely — the streamer doesn’t own the rights to a single word of the performance.

Ironically, the main reason behind Hart and Rock coming together is the least interesting thing about this film, which is infinitely more engaging when the two comedians look back on their lives, the many setbacks that they’ve experienced, and frequently touch on the idea of giving back. We also get lively commentary by legends such as Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr, and Wanda Sykes. But unlike so many other vanity projects out there, which are designed to hoodwink viewers into admiring their subjects for one reason or another, Headliners Only focuses on what Hart and Rock have done for other comics.

Rock recalls when he was singled out by Eddie Murphy as a teenager. And Hart insists that Rock did the same for him many years later, even though the film establishes that the comic Kieth Robinson was the one who actually mentored Hart back when he was starting out. One of the movie’s most effective moments is a hard cut to Robinson that director Rashidi Natara Harper makes towards the end, when Hart is taking a victory lap of sorts. The movie itself seems to be suggesting that Robinson, who was recently left partially paralysed because of a stroke, should’ve been up there with Hart. Instead, we get to see him fumble around with a goat while Chappelle laughs and Rock cringes. What were they thinking?

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It’s like the movie is actively withholding the comedy. A scene in which Rock goes on a quick riff about never going to meetings on an empty stomach is probably the funniest bit in the film. It brings back memories of the HBO special Talking Funny, or the backstage portions of The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. And the only time in the entire film that either of them is on stage — Hart makes a joke about Will Smith‘s meltdown at the Oscars, and the camera instantly cuts to Rock in the corner of the club — is an instant reminder of what Headliners Only needed more of. It was lying there in plain sight, like a punchline up for grabs.

Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only
Director – Rashidi Natara Harper
Rating – 2/5