James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2020

62%

WISE Score

British comedian gets vulnerable about his worst year ever—funny, but make it depression.

James Acaster: Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999

movie

NR, 2020

62%

WISE Score

British comedian gets vulnerable about his worst year ever—funny, but make it depression.

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this isn't for your kids—let's just get that out of the way. This is a stand-up special for adults who've had a truly garbage year and need to laugh-cry about it.

James Acaster is brilliant, and this special is genuinely good. He takes his worst year (a breakup, depression, career struggles) and contrasts it with 1999, when he was a carefree teen. It's funny, it's vulnerable, it's creative—and the ratings back that up.

But it's also heavy. This is comedy as therapy, and while that's valuable for adults dealing with their own stuff, it's not entertainment for the family movie night. If you're a parent who needs a smart, emotionally honest comedy special after the kids are asleep, this is excellent. Just keep it in the grown-up rotation.

Age Fit

This is absolutely for adults and older teens (17+) who can handle mature discussions of mental health and relationship breakups. It's stand-up comedy, but it's emotionally complex—not appropriate for kids or young teens at all.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a deeply personal stand-up special about Acaster's worst year (2017) contrasted with his best (1999). While he's known for his whimsical style, this special deals with depression, heartbreak, and difficult emotional territory. It's honest and vulnerable rather than toxic, but the emotional weight and adult themes (relationship breakups, mental health struggles) make it less 'wholesome' in the traditional sense. No meanness or cruelty, but definitely melancholic.

Imaginative

Acaster is genuinely one of the most creative comedians working today. The special's structure—weaving together 1999 nostalgia with 2017's darkness—is inventive. His observational style is quirky and original, finding humor in unexpected places. The 'nifty jacket' reference in the synopsis itself hints at his playful approach. He's not doing formulaic stand-up; he's crafting a narrative experience.

Safe

This is adult stand-up comedy dealing with depression, heartbreak, and potentially includes language and mature themes typical of British comedy specials. Without explicit content warnings available, and given the emotional subject matter (mental health crisis, relationship trauma), this could be unexpectedly heavy for younger viewers. Stand-up specials often include profanity and adult situations. Not appropriate for children or young teens.

Enriching

Strong ratings (8.6 IMDb, 4.4 Letterboxd) suggest this resonates deeply with audiences. Acaster's willingness to discuss mental health, depression, and vulnerability in comedy is genuinely valuable—it normalizes talking about hard times and models emotional honesty. For adults and older teens, there's real insight here about processing difficult periods in life. It's entertaining AND meaningful, which is rare in comedy.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

James Acaster is genuinely one of the most creative, original comedians working today—his style is quirky and inventive
Rare honest discussion of depression and mental health in comedy, normalizing vulnerability and emotional struggle
Strong audience ratings (8.6 IMDb, 4.4 Letterboxd) suggest this really connects with people who've been through tough times
The structure is clever: contrasting his best year (1999) with his worst (2017) creates a thoughtful narrative arc

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What to Watch For

This is adult stand-up dealing with depression, heartbreak, and relationship trauma—emotionally heavy stuff
Likely contains profanity and mature themes typical of British comedy specials
The tone is melancholic despite the humor—not a light, breezy watch

Conversation Starters

"Have you ever had a year that felt like everything was falling apart? How did you get through it?"
"Why do you think comedians often use humor to talk about really difficult experiences?"
"What makes 1999 feel so nostalgic for people who lived through it?"

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