The Last Laugh

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The Last Laugh

Released Mar 3, 2017

1h 28m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Comics, actors, filmmakers and concentration camp survivors discuss the ramifications and ethical dilemmas of using the Holocaust as a topic for humor.

Critics Consensus

The Last Laugh takes a fresh -- and unexpectedly funny -- approach to sensitive subject matter, uncovering affecting insights about the nature of comedy along the way.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

An eye opener in every sense

Nov 20, 2017

Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

In its own way, "The Last Laugh" is a celebration of Jewish humor, not just its importance as a survival technique, but also just how much it has shaped our culture.

Nov 20, 2017

Full Review

Peter Keough

Boston Globe

Is laughter a palliative? The only weapon of the powerless? Perhaps significantly, the film ends in tears.

Nov 20, 2017

Full Review

Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

Director Pearlstein makes it easy on us to decide by making the film both hilarious and thought-provoking.

Apr 28, 2020

Full Review

Brigid Presecky

FF2 Media

Renee Firestone, a Holocaust survivor now 93-years-old, captures the essence of The Last Laugh, Pearlstein's documentary on the humor coming out of the horror during World War II.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 16, 2019

Full Review

Nathanael Hood

Audiences Everywhere

The Last Laugh doesn't have many answers. But the questions it raises are worth their own sake.

Rated: B+

Dec 27, 2018

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Stephen C

Just 1 hour and 28 minutes of real humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

Full Review

greg r

Brilliant humor documentary about something that isn't funny at all.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Must see for every generation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A brilliant and profoundly moving documentary on the limits of humor and a survivors journey of memory and life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Emotional, funny and absorbing. Memory, taboo and how we heal are explored through the lens of a Renee Firestone, an incredibly resilient and surprisingly lighthearted holocaust survivor, and top comedians including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman and Gilbert Gottfried. The film is heartbreaking and hilarious - a philosophical romp into how humor defines our humanity. Director Pearlstein handles the complexities deftly and with a cinematic eye. More important than ever to see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Asks the question "when can we joke about the Holocaust"? Hilarious, touching, and though-provoking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

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Ferne Pearlstein

Director

Mel Brooks

Self

Sarah Silverman

Self

Carl Reiner

Self

Rob Reiner

Self

Gilbert Gottfried

Self

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Synopsis

Comics, actors, filmmakers and concentration camp survivors discuss the ramifications and ethical dilemmas of using the Holocaust as a topic for humor.

Director: Ferne Pearlstein
Producer: Ferne Pearlstein, Robert Edwards, Amy Hobby, Anne Hubbell, Jan Warner
Screenwriter: Robert Edwards, Ferne Pearlstein
Distributor: Tangerine Entertainment
Production Co: Tangerine Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 3, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2017
Runtime: 1h 28m

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