Matt Barats
Matt Barats | |
|---|---|
 Barats in 2020 | |
| Born | Boise, Idaho |
| Education | University of Colorado Boulder (BFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Website | mattbarats.com |
Matt Barats is an American comedic actor, writer, and filmmaker based in New York City. He is known for his work in experimental and alternative comedy, including the feature film Cash Cow (2023) and the trilogy Reveries. His acting credits include appearances on HBO, Netflix, and in various independent films. Barats has garnered attention for his unique storytelling, blending elements of comedy, satire, and personal reflection.[1]
Early life and education
Barats was born in Boise, Idaho, and attended the University of Colorado Boulder.[2] He later moved to Chicago and performed regularly at the Annoyance Theatre, iO, The Second City, and Upstairs Gallery, and was a cast member in the long-running Holy Fuck Comedy Hour.
Career
Barats was named a New Face at the 2015 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.[2] In New York, he performed stand-up and live shows including Sadie Hawkins Day [3] and sketch group Postmen.[4]
In 2017 Barats wrote and starred in Improv is Love which The New York Times described as “a brutal, concise sendup of the ‘do what you love’ philosophy of life”[5] and was the first of several shorts made in collaboration with director Doron Max Hagay.[6]
Barats co-created the Reveries series with comedian Anthony Oberbeck, including the films Reveries (2018), Reveries: Going Deeper (2020), and Reveries: The Mind Prison (2025) directed by Graham Mason.[7] Reveries was described by Vulture as “…like an Ayahuasca session conducted by Mitch Hedberg…an endorsement for unbridled creativity and experimentation and a marvel of artistic devotion.”[8]
Barats wrote, directed, and starred in the 2023 feature film Cash Cow, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. The film received critical acclaim, appearing on Esquire's list of the Best Movies of 2023,[9] and was released by Cartuna.[10]
In 2024, Barats collaborated with avant-garde filmmaker Travis Wilkerson on a feature film shot in mainland China, which is currently in post production.[11][12]
Additional Work
Barats has appeared in numerous television projects including HBO's High Maintenance, White House Plumbers, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Fantasmas, TBS's The Last O.G., and Netflix's Partner Track and Search Party. He played the co-lead role in the indie comedy feature Inspector Ike and appears in Cole Escola’s TV pilot Our Home Out West.[13]
Selected Filmography
- Improv is Love (short) (2017)
- Reveries (2018)
- Here We Have Idaho (2020)
- Reveries: Going Deeper (2020)
- Inspector Ike (2020)
- Cash Cow (2023)
- Reveries: The Mind Prison (2025)
- Untitled Travis Wilkerson film (in production)
References
- ^ "Domino's Money: Matt Barats' Cash Cow". ScreenSlate. 2023. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ a b "Just For Laughs Chooses Its 2015 New Faces". Vulture. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Sadie Hawkins Day Review". Exeunt Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Postmen Sketch Comedy". DoNYC. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "NoBudge: A One-Man Independent Film Factory". The New York Times. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Matt Barats Knows Only Improv Matters". Vulture. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Calgary Underground 2025 Review: Reveries: The Mind Prison". Screen Anarchy. 2025-04-01. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Reveries, a Perfect Visual Comedy Album". Vulture. 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Best Movies of 2023". Esquire. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Cash Cow Distribution". Cartuna. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Comedy Workshop Poster Duke Kunshan". Duke Kunshan University. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "DKU Professor Named Guggenheim Fellow". Duke Kunshan University. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Matt Barats – IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-08-07.