Vague Visages’ Thank You Very Much review contains minor spoilers. Alex Braverman’s 2023 documentary features Andy Kaufman, Danny DeVito and Marilu Henner. Check out the VV home page for more film criticism, movie reviews and film essays.

Thank You Very Much, a documentary about the legendary American comedian Andy Kaufman, provides much more than a Wikipedia-style narrative breakdown. Filmmaker Alex Braverman invests quality time in the psychological aspects of his mysterious subject while detailing the ABCs of the Saturday Night Live alum’s cultural appeal during the late 70s and early 80s. Interviews play a crucial role in Thank You Very Much, as trusted Kaufman associates like comedian Bob Zmuda and girlfriend Lynne Margulies deliver transparent commentaries about the subject’s mentality as he faced as a supposed career breakdown, along with a terminal illness.

Artistically, Thank You Very Much follows a familiar pattern. The narrative stays true to a traditional timeline, with Braverman frequently cutting to talking head commentaries about the subject’s motivations. Thank You Very Much separates itself from previous Kaufman documentaries in the way the director directly confronts the correlation between an artist’s childhood trauma and creative outlook as an adult. In pop culture, documentarians typically focus on the oddball nature of famous comedians, evidenced by numerous productions about celebrities that accentuate the performers’ faults instead of their inspirations:  a comedic genius, with loads of potential, finds fame and fortune, only to succumb to a drug addiction. In Thank You Very Much, Braverman interweaves numerous interview commentaries to thoroughly explain, or theorize about, Kaufman’s comedic/professional approach via childhood experiences.

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Thank You Very Much arguably peaks 30 minutes in as Braverman wraps up a psychological breakdown about Kaufman’s childhood and comedic inspirations. The main takeaways: the subject grew up in New York (Long Island) and turned to comedy after learning the truth about his grandfather’s disappearance. Andy’s parents’ lied about a familial death, and so their boy found comfort and creative freedom through bedroom performances. Years later, as Braverman’s documentary explains, Kaufman worked through his personal issues at Saturday Night Live (1975-), Taxi (1978-83) and other comedic arenas by channeling childhood experiences and finding truth in moments of silence via progressive, planned and improvisational comedy. Thank You Very Much also positions Andy as a sex addict but unfortunately reveals little about his perspective beyond the supposed fact that he used women as emotional comfort while playing out his long-term public dramas.

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Thank You Very Much begins strong yet loses momentum as Braverman explores Kaufman’s “Tony Clifton” persona. Overall, though, the filmmaker presents a different side of the subject than most documentaries, relying on video evidence and video commentaries to shape his narrative. In the future, hopefully a more ambitious investigation will use Thank You Very Much’s opening act as the foundation for an in-depth series about Kaufman’s psychology as a comedian, friend, son, lover, etc. Braverman plays the hits at times in his film but does indeed fill in some blanks about the subject’s worldview and upbringing.

Thank You Very Much released theatrically and digitally on March 28, 2025.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor. Thank you for reading film criticism, movie reviews and film essays at Vague Visages.

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