The Aristocrats
A candid comedy documentary turns one notoriously obscene joke into a revealing group portrait of how professional comedians build laughter.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- irreverent
- raucous
- witty
- comedy night
- adult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film hilarious and revealing about how comedy works, praising its candid insider access and many contrasting performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
More than one hundred entertainers offer distinct versions and analyses of the same famously obscene joke.
Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza invite major comedians to discuss the joke's history, function, and performance traditions.
The film repeatedly confronts the joke's extreme sexual and scatological content while asking why comics preserve it.
The interviews and performances deconstruct how delivery and comic perspective transform identical basic material.
Films like The Aristocrats, and why
Comedian
ensemble comedy documentary built around performers dissecting and retelling a provocative comic premise
The Comedy Store
behind-the-scenes documentary portrait of comedy culture, with candid performer interviews and reflections on craft
This Is Not a Comedy
irreverent documentary centered on provocative humor, transgression, and the mechanics of making audiences laugh
Movie Details
- Directors
- Paul Provenza, Penn Jillette
- Release Date
- 2005-07-29
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (184)
Cast
- Jason Alexander
- Chris Albrecht
- Hank Azaria
- Shelley Berman
- Steven Gary Banks
- Lewis Black
- Mario Cantone
- George Carlin
- Drew Carey
- Mark Cohen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Aristocrats about?
- A candid comedy documentary turns one notoriously obscene joke into a revealing group portrait of how professional comedians build laughter.
- What is The Aristocrats like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Aristocrats as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Aristocrats violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Aristocrats.
- What did critics think of The Aristocrats?
- Critics broadly found the film hilarious and revealing about how comedy works, praising its candid insider access and many contrasting performances.
- Which films are like The Aristocrats?
- Films with a similar feel include Comedian, The Comedy Store, and This Is Not a Comedy.
- How long is The Aristocrats?
- The Aristocrats runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Aristocrats?
- In United States, The Aristocrats streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
Browse Ember's collections
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- Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way2014
- This Film Is Not Yet Rated2006
- Kevin Smith: Silent but Deadly2018
- Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind2018
- George Carlin: Life Is Worth Losing2005
- American: The Bill Hicks Story2010
- Comedian2002
