The Last Laugh

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The Last Laugh

2017

1h 28m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

44 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

Nov 20, 2017

An eye opener in every sense

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Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

Nov 20, 2017

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.

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Peter Keough

Boston Globe

Nov 20, 2017

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

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Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

Apr 28, 2020

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

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Brigid Presecky

FF2 Media

Aug 16, 2019

5/5

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.

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Nathanael Hood

Audiences Everywhere

Dec 27, 2018

B+

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

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K M

@RT24767458 Oct 13, 2025

I found this movie to be very charming, witty, and profound! The chemistry and the acting between Richard Dreyfus and Chevy Chase kept me hooked!!! Loved seeing Kate Micucci in this too as Chevys Granddaughter!!! This movie was very sweet and as I get older, an eye opener to live life to the fullest doing what makes you happy!!!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 May 30, 2025

Just 1 hour and 28 minutes of real humor.

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greg r

@itsgregsworld Apr 27, 2017

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

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Apr 22, 2017

Must see for every generation.

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Mar 3, 2017

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

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Mar 2, 2017

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.

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Ferne Pearlstein

Director

Mel Brooks

Self

Sarah Silverman

Self

Carl Reiner

Self

Rob Reiner

Self

Gilbert Gottfried

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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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