Many stand-up comedians felt inclined to address cancel culture in 2020 Netflix specials. Jim Jefferies defended his craft during Intolerant, while Kevin Hart deflected criticism in Zero F**ks Given from the basement of his Los Angeles mansion. Over time, the cancel culture bits have revealed a troubling industry trend of comics flexing on stage without offering much substance behind all the bravado. Whereas a legend such as Dave Chappelle offers layers of depth when addressing online trolls, others beat their chest with one-dimensional bits for the sake of brand management. In On the Rocks, American comedian Brian Regan looks inward with numerous social commentaries and wisely avoids the cultural traps that plagued so many 2020 acts.

As a whole, On the Rocks shows a 62-year-old man reflecting about his recent OCD diagnosis. Wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket, Regan takes the stage and immediately addresses the fact that his hair turned gray. “I don’t know what happened either,” the comic says, “Covid hit, I went into hibernation and came out a senior citizen.” Not only does the joke have universal appeal, but it also establishes a vulnerable tone for the 56-minute show. Regan doesn’t use political humor as a structural anchor, nor does he poke the crowd with musings about the art of stand-up comedy. Instead, the comic spends 15 minutes on introspective bits and another 15 minutes on observational humor. Regan’s stage polish reminds of a seasoned comic like Norm MacDonald, albeit with a little more energy. As he snarls about house party posers and underwhelming personal anecdotes, there’s a touch of Disturbed Robert De Niro in Regan’s mannerisms, and he becomes especially animated when delving into absurdist humor; a potent blend of physical comedy and sarcastic zingers.

On the Rocks loses momentum when Regan leaves behind self-deprecating humor and locks into social commentaries that establish him as the most interesting person in a room full of boring people. The bits complement earlier jokes about OCD, but there’s a “Get Off My Lawn” vibe that instantaneously ages the set. At one point, Regan jokes about his Twitter approach and how he doesn’t want to come across as too young or too old. With On the Rocks, he does indeed meet audiences in the middle, resulting in an accessible, family-friendly show. The second half drags on at times, but Regan’s originality shines through in bits about over-dressed members of orchestra pits and tiny martians being crushed by astronauts.