The Ralph Handel Story

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.

• Benny SafdieDirector
• Josh SafdieDirector
• Jack LewisOriginal Music Composer

• Benny SafdieRalph Handel
• Josh SafdieThe Director (voice)
• Peter RandThe Boss (voice)