The Closer (2021 film)

The special received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes The Closer has an approval rating of 40% based on reviews from 10 critics, and an average rating of 6.20 out of 10.[23] Some reviewers pointed out that while the special received poor ratings from professional critics,[24][25][26][27] The Closer had a 96% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.[25]

Eric Deggans of NPR, in a negative review thinks Chappelle goes too far, that his jokes treat oppression like a zero-sum game, and "untangling homophobia, transphobia, racism and white privilege requires a lot more effort and understanding than Chappelle makes here."[28]

Dan Di Placido of Forbes in a negative review wrote that The Closer painted the picture of a declining comedian, saying that Chapelle seems intent on defining himself using the controversy surrounding "Chappelle's habit of mocking the trans community, in a way that the community largely objects to." Di Placido stated that Chapelle's story about Daphne Dorman in the special felt out of place, and called the special "an hour of Chappelle insisting that he is right, and his critics are wrong."[29]

Craig Jenkins of Vulture gave it a mixed review, and wrote: "This time, [Chapelle]’s going for the predictable jabs and rehashing takes that were old hat five years ago … He needs new ideas.."[30]

Helen Lewis of The Atlantic in a mixed review wrote that "The emotion that defines The Closer is not laughter, but anger. Chappelle once delivered his most offensive jokes with a goofy, quizzical, little-lost-boy smile, removing some of their sting, but here the humor feels sour and curdled. The stoner who never gave a shit seems genuinely frustrated and goaded on by social-media pile-ons. An alternative title for the special might be A Response to My Critics." She compared Chappelle's special to a Rorschach test, describing his jokes are both funny and offensive, and that he is "entirely right to indict would-be censors for their wild inconsistencies and their capricious attitude to offense."[24]

Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel in a positive review wrote that "amidst all the brouhaha that has happened this last week over Dave Chappelle's latest Netflix special, “The Closer,” there lies a total and utter artistic act of subversive trolling from the comedian. The result is a blend of comedy and commentary that, when all is said and done, might very well define Chappelle's career — and it's not even close to being the funniest thing he's ever done."[31]

Jim Schembri in a positive review wrote "Chappelle presents himself as an unfiltered, unflinching free thinker, fully aware of the controversy he creates and totally unapologetic about it."[32]

Chappelle's jokes about the transgender community were criticized by GLAAD, which said in a statement that "Chappelle's brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people."[33] David Johns, the executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, published a statement saying "[p]erpetuating transphobia perpetuates violence" and asked Netflix to remove The Closer from its service.[34]

Reactions to the special by the public were mixed. The Los Angeles Times interviewed three LGBTQ comedians, asking for their opinion on The Closer. Some were in support of Chappelle's artistic freedom as a comedian while others were hurt by the content of the special.[35] Black transgender comedian Flame Monroe was supportive of Chappelle's special.[36][37]

Some Netflix employees responded negatively to the special.[15] On October 8, 2021, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special's release in a memo sent to employees saying that "[w]e don't allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don't believe The Closer crosses that line."[38] Following Sarandos' statement, the trans employee resource group at Netflix announced they would be staging a walkout on October 20.[39] After the announcement of the walkout, Sarandos defended the special once again in a company-wide email saying "[w]ith The Closer, we understand that the concern is not about offensive-to-some content but titles which could increase real world harm (such as further marginalizing already marginalized groups, hate, violence etc.)" and that "[w]hile some employees disagree, we have a strong belief that content on screen doesn't directly translate to real-world harm".[40][41]

On October 7, at a private screening of his documentary Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life, Chappelle responded to the controversy saying: "If this is what being canceled is, I love it."[3][2] At another screening of his documentary, on October 17, Chappelle told the audience "Don't worry about me... I've got enough money to never work again in my life." He also mentioned following the backlash from his special, two screenings of the documentary were cancelled.[42]

On October 19, Sarandos defended the special again as "freedom of speech and creative expression".[43] Before the planned walkout, Netflix issued a company statement encouraging employees to attend the protest without repercussions.[44] On October 20, there was a small employee walkout of between twelve and thirty employees[45][46] at a Netflix building in Los Angeles.

On October 21, a representative for Chappelle reached out to TMZ saying: "Dave stands by his art: No more jokes about transgenders until we can all laugh together. The streets are talking and Dave is listening. At some point, when everyone is open, I'm sure the communities will come together" and added that Chappelle is open to a conversation with transgender activists if an invitation is extended to him.[47][48][49] On October 25, Chappelle released a clip from his stand-up tour where he stated "Do not blame the LGBTQ community for any of this. It's about corporate interests, and what I can say, and what I cannot say."[50]

In the special, Chappelle discussed his friendship with Daphne Dorman, who was an American transgender comedian, actress, and software engineer based in San Francisco.[51] Chappelle mentioned her in his earlier special Sticks & Stones.[52] She defended Chappelle after the backlash to the special.[53][54]

Dorman committed suicide in October 2019,[51] and she was survived by her daughter.[55] Dorman's family defended The Closer. Her sister said of Chappelle: "Dave loved my sister and is an LGBTQ ally."[56][57] Chappelle has set up a college fund for Dorman's daughter.[58]

Bloomberg News reported that Chappelle's content "prompted leaks unprecedented in the company's history" by employees and insiders. Netflix does not share metrics associated with numbers of viewers or profitability of individual content.[15] Three employees were suspended for attending a quarterly business report meeting uninvited which was restricted to director-level employees.[59]

On October 15, Netflix fired employee B. Pagels-Minor[60] for leaking nonpublic financial information to Bloomberg News.[61] The same employee was reportedly responsible for organizing the planned October 20 walkout.[62] A Netflix spokesperson said of the termination: "We understand the employee may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company".[61] The information was said to be confidential and commercially sensitive.[63] Pagels-Minor denied that he leaked sensitive information to the press, however Netflix stated that access records indicated "he was the only employee to access detailed, sensitive data on four titles that later appeared in the press."[62] Pagels-Minor and Terra Field filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.[64][65] The complaint was later dropped after both parties "resolved their differences" but details were not provided.[66]