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Marty, Life Is Short

Play trailer 2:11 Poster for Marty, Life Is Short 2026 1h 41m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Marty, Life is Short, from director Lawrence Kasdan, is the definitive documentary on beloved comedian Martin Short. Using beautiful, intimate, never-before-seen archive footage alongside exclusive interviews with some of the most established and beloved stars, the documentary takes a look at one of the most influential comedians of a generation.
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Marty, Life Is Short

Critics Reviews

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Craig Mathieson The Age (Australia) 1d
3.5/5
...this affectionate biographical documentary confirms what we’d always suspected about Canadian comic Martin Short: he’s hugely funny, whether on or off the screen, a wonderful pal and deeply committed, no matter the difficulties, to those he loves. Go to Full Review
G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle May 14
1/4
Basically, Kasdan has created a celebration of his pal, whose life apparently consisted of little else besides acting in comedy projects onstage and onscreen and throwing parties with his rich and famous friends. Go to Full Review
David Mack Slate May 14
One of the more interesting things that Marty, Life Is Short does to stand out from the slew of other recent biographical documentaries is adopt a slightly meta approach to the whole process. Go to Full Review
Rendy Jones What's on Netflix 1d
4/5
Lawrence Kasdan’s documentary is a heartfelt, star-studded celebration of the beloved comedian, perfectly capturing his infectious light and resilience through profound personal loss. Go to Full Review
Alex Maidy JoBlo's Movie Network 6d
8/10
Marty, Life Is Short is a worthy tribute to the man whom I hope has many more years ahead of him, and hopefully filled with no more grief, as this documentary shows he has endured far more than he deserves. A great and positive love letter, I must say. Go to Full Review
John Stark Mac the Movie Guy May 20
90/100
Loved it from start to finish.We should all be so lucky to have a friend like Marty, and every celebrity would be grateful to have a retrospective like Life Is Short. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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loice N @RT84928430 2h The film is a mixture of comedy and personal memories which makes it more warm emotional and funny attribute. See more Aye E @RT43717499 1d Not a comprehensive documentary, but a loving portrait of a guy that's made a career of being the same person since the age of 5. It shares some facts about his life but it doesn't get into the details or a fixed chronology, more recent losses aren't covered. It does give a sense of who he is, how he has lived his life, and who he surrounded himself with. It was an added treat to try to spot familiar faces in the home movies, and in the kids as well, since several of them have grown up to be in the entertainment business now. It was great to see old clips of characters and bits I've never seen, jokes shared with friends in private settings, and some familiar ones. So many had me laughing out loud, some to the point of tears. To me it's an inspiration on how to live your life with a good attitude, a sense of humor, and lots of unabashed love. This is a lovely, uplifting way to spend some time watching TV. And now I love Marty even more than I did, and I didn't know that was possible. See more Michael D @MichaelX 1d Tom Hanks says it best in this warm, bighearted Netflix documentary directed by Lawrence Kasdan: "Marty operates at the speed of joy." That line lands differently knowing what came after filming wrapped: the sudden loss of his daughter Katherine to suicide, after years of suffering from mental illness and the passing of close friend and collaborator Catherine O’Hara. After the death of his beloved wife Nancy, Martin Short himself spoke of dealing with tragedy with characteristic grace: some diseases, like cancer, are terminal. This doc is a parade of A-list love with Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, O'Hara, and Hanks all gathered in home footage at Snug Harbor, Ontario, rollicking in each other's company. Loss has shadowed Martin Short since before his 20th birthday, with the passing of his parents and his brother, yet he has consistently chosen joy as a radical act of resilience. This is a tribute, a celebration, and a quiet masterclass in how to live fully in the face of the unimaginable. See more James M @RT66144318 3d I will start off by saying I am a Martin Short fan and have been since SCTV. I've read his autobio and watch Only Murder's in the Building mainly for him and only secondly for the great Steve Martin which shows my devotion for the man we call Mr Entertainment Martin Short. So, you get that I am not going to give a negative review of this documentary. Well, actually it was terrible...no, I am kidding, but I wanted to surprise you, shock you and well I am already bored writing this and since you probably stopped reading it a while ago I stop here and just say watch Marty and bask in the warmth of his talent....too much? See more Lucas C. @TheMovieConnoisseur007 3d The Power of having Good Friends and a loving family. See more Scott M @Scomo 3d Marty made me laugh. Then he made me cry. That last pic with Nancy and Catherine O’Hara. Marty you turned me into a blubbering 70 year old wimp, I must say. And to Marty’s life long pal, Steve Martin who helped in my transition to cry baby, I don’t give a shit I where Tut was born or that he moved to Arizona or any other place. Waterworks going again as I write this. I feel completely mental. Give me a break! See more Read all reviews
Marty, Life Is Short

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Movie Info

Synopsis Marty, Life is Short, from director Lawrence Kasdan, is the definitive documentary on beloved comedian Martin Short. Using beautiful, intimate, never-before-seen archive footage alongside exclusive interviews with some of the most established and beloved stars, the documentary takes a look at one of the most influential comedians of a generation.
Director
Lawrence Kasdan
Producer
Sara Bernstein, Meredith Kaulfers, Christopher St. John, Lawrence Kasdan, Blair Foster
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Imagine Documentaries
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 12, 2026
Runtime
1h 41m