Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter

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Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter

Nov 2025

1h 27m

Documentary

Biography

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Popcornmeter

64%

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11 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In the '90s, pop culture icon Susan Powter burst onto the scene with her signature bleach-blonde buzz cut and bold message of health and wellness. After conquering infomercials, becoming a New York Times bestselling author, hosting her own talk show, and seeing her face on thousands of products, she dramatically walked away from Hollywood and into obscurity. Crippling lawsuits with her business partners left her bankrupt, and she has since lived as a total recluse below the poverty line in Las Vegas, where the filmmaker ultimately finds her. This documentary explores the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of Susan Powter while asking what it will take to bring her back to audiences--and whether her message, Stop The Insanity, is still as relevant and powerful today as it was in the early '90s.

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

Nov 20

The documentary ends not with the promise of a comeback, but with a resolution to restore some, well, sanity to Powter’s life.

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Daniel Fienberg

The Hollywood Reporter

Nov 19

What I liked most about Stop the Insanity is what’s likely to make it a tough sell to audiences who have devoured films about so many of her former contemporaries. It doesn’t say if Powter, as a guru, was right or wrong.

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Sarah Ward

AWFJ.org

Dec 8

Powter was her own biggest asset when she made the leap from teaching aerobics classes to media domination; at its most resonant and insightful, she’s the same for Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter.

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Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

Dec 5

A fascinating examination of a microcelebrity of the distant past, its legacy, and what happens to such people once their 15 minutes are over.

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Joe Carlough

MovieJawn

Nov 30

The vagueness of what happened, the glossing over of these important 15 or so years, left me wondering why they were omitted, and perhaps, more importantly, what the point of the documentary is.

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Joey Moser

The Contending

Nov 25

For Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter, director Zeberiah Newman re-introduces us to an icon with fervor, love, and patient affection.

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William S

@PhillyWill 1d

Susan Powter's story is incredible, but more so her high energy, will to survive, and down to earth realness. This doc shows where she's been, where she is now, and the reignited hope for where she's going next. I hope we'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from her - she's been missed.

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@JJBlade 4d

The documentary was confusing at times and I feel that there were some very vague areas, this felt as though it really should have been a 3-hour doc or at least a 3-part series, HOWEVER, the message was not lost. The message of redemption, hope, perseverance and fortitude. I love Susan Powter and have since I was a young boy. She was never forgotten and I am here for her second chapter.

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Gwen B

@Gbgwen 4d

When I first spotted Susan Powter on YouTube talking about this documentary it took me back to a time when I was a young mother in the 90’s taking care of my two sons and trying to stay fit. Her energy and vivacious personality brought me in then and it has brought me back now. She is real, honest and I rented this and watched it several times! Fantastic!🌺❤️🙏🏻🌈

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Anthony T.

@Ansfan17 6d

I found the documentary brilliant, heartbreaking, and socially relevant on multiple levels. Many of us have chapters in our lives that didn’t unfold as we had envisioned. The key difference between most people and Susan was her honesty and authenticity, which shone through the screen. I give the director and Susan five stars. And to Jamie Lee Curtis for her foresight in producing this documentary. Bravo! It’s a great watch and a lesson in humanity, empathy, and perseverance.

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Steven B.

@Blaxican 6d

She is a genuine, kind woman and I hope she finds the happiness she deserves. Susan's positive energy should be bottled up and sold. The world needs Susan's Insanity!!

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@virginia109 6d

She's so entertaining and a beautiful woman inside and out. We all go through hard times but it's so rare for someone to be so transparent and raw about their journey- which made her so loveable. I hope she gets a book deal and gets back on the circuit to teach again. She's got a lot of energy & spirit and is great TV!

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Zeb Newman

Director

Susan Powter

Self

Zeb Newman

Producer

Leah Turner

Producer

Michiel Thomas

Producer

Jamie Lee Curtis

Executive Producer

Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

In the '90s, pop culture icon Susan Powter burst onto the scene with her signature bleach-blonde buzz cut and bold message of health and wellness. After conquering infomercials, becoming a New York Times bestselling author, hosting her own talk show, and seeing her face on thousands of products, she dramatically walked away from Hollywood and into obscurity. Crippling lawsuits with her business partners left her bankrupt, and she has since lived as a total recluse below the poverty line in Las Vegas, where the filmmaker ultimately finds her. This documentary explores the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of Susan Powter while asking what it will take to bring her back to audiences--and whether her message, Stop The Insanity, is still as relevant and powerful today as it was in the early '90s.

Director: Zeb Newman
Producer: Zeb Newman, Leah Turner, Michiel Thomas
Distributor: Obscured Releasing
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 27m

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