Best Comedy Documentaries

This intimate portrait shows one of the world's most inventive comedians. Robin's voice and much unseen archival footage tell the extraordinary life and career of Robin Williams.

The Aristocrats is a 2005 documentary about the famous dirty joke. Comedians Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza conceived and produced it. Emery Emery edited it. TH!NKFilm released the film. The film honors Johnny Carson, who favored "The Aristocrats" as his favorite joke.

The story covers "The Dana Carvey Show."

Dave Chappelle, actor, writer, and comic, loads a bus with his Ohio hometown residents. He takes them to Brooklyn, N.Y. Travelers enjoy a concert with Kanye West, the Fugees, and Big Daddy Kane. Chappelle's comedy and rehearsal footage energize the event.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is a 2017 American documentary directed by Chris Smith. The film shifts between interviews with Jim Carrey and footage from making Man on the Moon nearly 20 years earlier. The documentary explores how Carrey adopted the persona of comedian Andy Kaufman.

This documentary focuses on two stand-up comedians: Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams. Seinfeld is a veteran of comedy, known for his TV sitcom. Adams is a rising star in business, far less successful. Both comics face a kind of crisis. Seinfeld seeks to restart his stand-up career. Adams wants regular late-night TV gigs and eventually a sitcom.

Love, Gilda is a 2018 documentary directed by Lisa Dapolito. Comedienne Gilda Radner reflects on her life and career using recently found audiotapes, interviews with friends, rare home movies, and diaries read by current comediennes.

Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio directed George Carlin’s American Dream, a 2022 American documentary. The two-part film tracks the life and work of comedian George Carlin. It shows Carlin's rise to fame and offers a look into his personal life. This includes his childhood in New York City, his drug struggles, legal troubles, his marriage to Brenda for 36 years, and his second marriage to Sally Wade. Interviews with Carlin and Brenda’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, provide unique insight.

This is a look back at the first 5 years of Saturday Night Live. Interviews with executive producer Lorne Michaels, crew members, musicians, past and present cast members, and former hosts examine the show's start and behind-the-scenes events.

Michael Bonfiglio directed the 2021 American comedy documentary, 'Patrice O'Neal: Killing is Easy.' Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, and Colin Quinn, who knew Patrice best, reflect on this true original. Patrice never reached the success many thought he deserved; his death at 41 left many questioning what could have happened.

Conan O'Brien separated from his former employers. Did he tour 32 cities to connect with fans or fill a personal gap? Filmmaker Rodman Flender followed O'Brien on his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.” Flender returned with a close look at an artist trained in improvisation, capturing O'Brien at his most improvisational period.

Judd Apatow directed the 2018 American documentary, 'The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.' Michael Cera reads personal diary excerpts. The film examines the life and career of stand-up comedian and actor Garry Shandling.

Danny Gold directed the 2022 American documentary, 'The Super Bob Einstein Movie.' It explores Bob Einstein’s unexpected discovery and lasting career. The film shares the many changing layers of his comedy from those who knew him best.

Don Rickles is the subject of the 2007 documentary, 'Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.' The film aired at the 2007 New York Film Festival and later on HBO. Producers Robert Engelman, John Landis, Mike Richardson, and Larry Rickles earned a 2008 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special. Don Rickles also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his role in the documentary.

J. Elvis Weinstein directed the 2017 American documentary, 'I Need You to Kill.' Tom Segura, Chad Daniels, and Pete Lee travel through Hong Kong, Singapore, and Macau on a six-show tour.

This documentary shows comedy clubs reopening in NYC after COVID-19 and regaining normalcy.

The film shows multiple women comedians on stage, backstage, and off stage. It explores their hard-fought journey to become voices for their generation.

Filmmaker Bao Nguyen shows the 40-year history of `Saturday Night Live`. The film covers its effect on popular culture, its best moments, and comments from Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and others.

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy shows the evolution of black comedy in America. Directors Robert Townsend and Quincy Newell made this no-holds-barred documentary, inspired by Darryl Littleton’s book. It offers an insider view and examines black comedy’s cultural impact. Townsend and Newell added interviews with scholars, politicians, critics, and comics like Bill Cosby and Chris.

This documentary tracks Joan Rivers' life and career. She was a veteran comedienne, known more for plastic surgery than talent. The film shows her early comedy years and her long professional relationship with Johnny Carson. It also features George Carlin, Phyllis Diller, Kathy Griffin, and Melissa Rivers, Rivers' daughter and frequent co-star.

Kevin Pollak directed Misery Loves Comedy in 2015. Over fifty famous American, Canadian, British, and Australian funny people—filmmakers, writers, actors, and comedians—share their lives and careers. They aim to answer: Do you have to be miserable to be funny?

Marina Zenovich examines the life and career of Richard Pryor. Dave Chappelle, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Bob Newhart, and others offer insight into Pryor's mind.

Stand-up comic Eddie Pepitone tries to advance his act by breaking through his cult status.

Doug Stanhope's The Unbookables is a 2012 American documentary film. Jeff Pearson directed it. It tells the story of stand-up comics pushing limits on stage and off. They tour small venues and a crappy van through the Midwest, balancing the drive to succeed against the fact that there might be nothing left to lose.

The film documents the troupe's history using archival footage and current interviews with members. The footage largely comes from The Rivoli, the Toronto club where the troupe began.

Several comic greats honor the stand-up stage Budd Friedman founded in 1963.

Interviews feature T.J. Miller, Pete Holmes, Marc Maron, Doug Benson, Jim Norton, Judah Friedlander, Alonzo Bodden, Maria Bamford, Jen Kirkman, Auggie Smith, W. Kamau Bell, Nikki Glaser, Wayne Federman, Seth Milstein, Oni Perez, Alysia Wood, Kris Tinkle, Traci Skene, Brian McKim, Tim O’Rourke, Tom Rhodes, Kyle Kinane, and myself.

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried talks about his career and his new life as a family man.

This explores Bill Cosby's life and work, weighing his actions against his cultural influence.

Dave ChappelleDave Chappelle is awarded the prestigiousMark Twain PrizeThe Kennedy Center hosted a star-studded ceremony for American Humor.Kennedy Center features 'Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize' in the 'Best Comedy Documentaries' list.The event took place in Washington, D.C.

Director R.J. Cutler's documentary uses unheard audiotapes recorded after John Belushi’s death. The film examines the short life of the once-in-a-generation talent who captured audiences' hearts and humor.

This looks at the rise and fall of the National Lampoon, the parody magazine that pushed taste limits from the 1970s through the 1990s.

Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Lewis, Jamie Foxx, Garry Shandling, and others discuss the craft, creative process, and psychology of stand-up comedy before a live audience.

This offers an intimate look at the work and lives of stand-up comedians. Some top names show what it takes to pursue this tough, important art form.

Arthur Bradford directed '6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park,' a 2011 documentary showing how an episode of the animated show South Park gets made. The documentary earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding non-fiction special.

Filmmaker Andre Gaines examines the life and career of stand-up comic, activist, and pop culture icon Dick Gregory. The film features interviews with Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, and others.

Friends and family honor the late comic's life and legacy. This includes Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Stamos, and others.

Call Me Lucky is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. It focuses on the life of satirist, author, and performer Barry Crimmins.

History of the Joke is a two-hour television special documentary. It premiered on February 18, 2008, in the USA on History. Lewis Black hosted this special, starring Mitch Fatel, Ed Galvez, Jessica Glassberg, George Carlin, Shelley Berman, Jimmy Carr, Jeff Dunham, Steve Byrne, Gallagher, Patton Oswalt, Aisha Tyler, Robin Williams, Brian Posehn, Greg Fitzsimmons, Gina Yashere, George Lopez, Lynne Koplitz, Kathy Griffin, Dave Attell, and Penn & Teller. Black discussed all parts of the perfect joke and all comedy types, including physical comedy.

The Comedians of Comedy documents a stand-up comedy tour featuring alternative comedians Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn, and Maria Bamford. The tour was documented in a 2005 film and the 2005 Comedy Central television series of the same name, both directed by Michael Blieden. Eugene Mirman replaced Zach Galifianakis after he left the tour.

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise shows Brooks' early live TV work, like Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows. It covers film genres he satirized, such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, and Spaceballs. The film also covers his career and personal life: his childhood, his first wife, and his 41-year marriage to Anne Bancroft. This captures a new look at his reflections and confessions.

This covers the history of Guy Torry's Phat Tuesdays at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles during the 90s.

Fran Solomita, a former Boston comedian, makes this documentary about the Boston stand-up comedy scene's huge popularity in the 80s and early 90s. THINKFilm released it on DVD on June 20, 2006, as part of the distributor for The Aristocrats. The movie runs 78 minutes.

Social media brings new outrage nearly every day. People always find things to offend, but organizing opposition against and public censure of offenders is now more powerful than ever. Today, one clumsy joke puts everyone at risk of public ruin.

Comedian Bonnie McFarlane acts as an investigative journalist. She seeks to find out if women are funny and reports her unbiased findings in what some call the most important documentary of our generation.

I Am Chris Farley is a 2015 American documentary directed by Brent Hodge and Derik Murray. The film follows comedian Chris Farley's career growth, from his first production at a Wisconsin summer camp to the movies. It focuses on the importance of The Second City and Saturday Night Live in his career.

This feature film explores the life and legacy of shock comic Sam Kinison. Kinison became a stand-up comic after being a Pentecostal preacher. He took his preaching skills and used them in the rock 'n' roll comedy of the MTV era.

Filmmaker Neil Berkeley documents life on the road with Dan Harmon, the sitcom writer and podcaster for "Community," during a 20-city tour.

Filmmakers Julie Smith Clem and Ken Druckerman chronicle the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival's decade-long run, including a final farewell show.

Comedian and actor Jamie Kennedy examines heckling. He looks at how the Internet seems to create a new, harsher type of heckler. Kennedy, who knows heckling well, interviews harsh critics one-on-one. Comedians, musicians, and filmmakers offer commentary on why the relationship between critics, fans, and artists has grown hostile.