The Ralph Handel Story (2006)

Co-directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, this deadpan mock-documentary follows Ralph Handel, a buttoned-down office worker who spends his nights bombing on the open-mic circuit. Staged as cinéma vérité that edges into performance art—Safdie performed the disastrous sets in real clubs—the film channels Andy Kaufman’s anti-comedy and the self-reflexive diary mode of David Holzman’s Diary to sketch a sly portrait of a life quietly coming undone.

• Release Date: 2006-06-19
• Runtime: 0h 15min
• Production Company: Red Bucket Films
• Production Country: United States of America
• Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie.