THE ‘DOC’ DOCTOR: New films on Andy Kaufman, Aum Shinrikyo cult
Photo: Aum: The Cult at the End of the World is a new film that details a deadly nerve gas that took place in the subway system of Tokyo in 1995. The perpetrators, according to the documentary, were members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult. Photo courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment / Provided with permission.
Hollywood Soapbox is launching a new column looking at some of the most engaging documentaries on the cinematic scene, and this first issue includes two 2025 releases that came out in March, but are still available on digital platforms.
The first one is Thank You Very Much, an introspective look at the life and career of comedian Andy Kaufman. The movie, a release of Drafthouse Films and directed by Alexander Braverman, splices together contemporary interviews with Kaufman’s friends, archival interviews with Kaufman’s parents and footage of the actor during his comedic heyday in the 1980s. The documentary is clearly interested in Kaufman as a subject, but they don’t offer unchallenged effusion for his craft because, let’s be honest, the performer was a controversial figure, especially with his foray into mysognistic professional wrestling.
Still, after spending this much time with Kaufman’s story, it’s hard not to be won over by his unique art. His standup routines were inspired fun and unmatched in the world of comedy; no one was performing like Kaufman, and that statement is still true more than 40 years after his death. He invited theatergoers to board buses and enjoy some milk and cookies, perhaps his best-known stunt. He read from The Great Gatsby, without stopping. He broke down into tears and then transitioned into percussive music. He was all over the place, allowing staged hecklers to interrupt his act and putting on a puppy-dog face as if he were a victim. It was surreal and uncommon.
His acting on television is legendary, especially his appearance on the very first episode of Saturday Night Life (the Mighty Mouse routine) and his years on Taxi as the beloved character Latka. Kaufman could come off as endearing and brilliant, but there was also a darker side to his humor. His alternate personality, Tony Clifton, was everything that the actor wasn’t: a rude, insensitive lounge singer who lived a gluttonous lifestyle. Where Kaufman ended and Clifton began is up for debate. Ditto for his controversial entry into wrestling women in the ring and disparaging his opponents with nasty comments in front of the cameras. The entire foray appears to be an act, but Kaufman never breaks character and never allows for a punchline. So, again, the audience is left wondering what was that all about.
Thank You Very Much is a revelation about a man who defied categorization. There’s a lot already known about the comedian, but this film finds new material and offers deeper thoughts about Kaufman’s place in comedy history. It’s worth a watch and turns quite poignant as Braverman explains the final days of the comedian’s life and the conspiracy theory involving his death.
Another doc to check out is Aum: The Cult at the End of the World, a much more serious film directed by Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto. This story, released by Greenwich Entertainment, was completely unknown to this reviewer, but it details the behind-the-scenes story of a deadly nerve gas attack on the subway system of Tokyo in 1995. The perpetrators, according to the sources in the documentary, were members of a doomsday cult called Aum Shinrikyo that followed the teachings of a leader who brought the group from a spiritual community to a classified terrorist organization.
Today, there’s a new documentary about life in a cult released almost every single week. Netflix and the other streaming platforms are filled to the brim with such programming, and one can understand why. There’s a fascination with the beliefs and practices of a group of people who seemingly hand over their minds and hearts to a charismatic leader — a leader who can bring the flock down a violent path. Perhaps these constant exposés are meant to be cautionary tales about the power and appeal of these groups; stories of Aum Shinrikyo and other cults are intended as historical anecdotes that serve as guidebooks of prevention in the future.
As a film, Aum is well put together, with the common formula of contemporary interviews residing net to archival news footage. There are many viewpoints described in the documentary, especially from journalists who covered the story. There’s also a lot of historical context about Aum Shinrikyo’s emergence and how it fit into the time period of its existence, but there is not enough information on the specific belief system of the cult and how the group grew in numbers. By the end, the mystique of Aum remained elusive, but perhaps diving too deep would have unintended consequences, like platforming radical ideas.
Aum: The Cult at the End of the World is a solid film about a scary chapter in Japan’s modern history. The film serves as a warning about supposed religious groups that can turn violent and take their belief systems to controversial, deadly ends.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Thank You Very Much (2023, but released in 2025). Directed by Alexander Braverman. Running time: 99 minutes. Rating: 
Aum: The Cult at the End of the World (2023, but released in 2025). Directed by Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto. Running time: 106 minutes. Rating: 
