‘Lorne’ Review: “Is ‘SNL’ Still Funny?” Asks Your Co-worker for the Millionth Time

BY DANTE ALVAREZ

APRIL 16, 2026 12:15 EST

“Lorne”

©Focus Features

Every few years, the same headlines seem to pop up surrounding the iconic ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL). Since Lorne Michaels’ initial departure from the show in the 80s, rumors and questions about ‘SNL’’s cancellation have plagued the mind of the American viewer. A whopping 50 years later, the show is still on air at NBC. As cast members, writers, and hosts leave and enter the series, the forever evolving sketch comedy manages to find a new life every time it hits rock bottom (and you’d be shocked at how many times it has hit rock bottom). Many point to a larger than life figure for all of this: Lorne Michaels, producer of ‘Saturday Night Live.’

For most of his career, and even now, Michaels was presumed to be a mysterious and mystical beast leading a pack of savage and “dangerous” alpacas. Director Morgan Neville attempts to catch a glimpse of the unicorn by doing the unthinkable… pointing a camera at Lorne Michaels and seeing where it takes him. Michaels’ unpredictable persona creates a fascinating structure that tends to flow through the lifespan of ‘SNL’ and not Lorne Michaels himself. Although dissecting the illusiveness of a giant seems impossible, the end result is manageable, bearable, yet underwhelmingly unimpressive.

“Lorne”

©Focus Features

The collection of former cast, writers, and more from the hit show creates for many fun and witty dialogues scattered all throughout the film. Interactions between Bill Hader, Andy Sandberg, and John Mulaney, to more personal talking heads from Paul Simon and Tina Fey, the variety of faces is rather pleasing and even comforting. However, the film’s intuition becomes frustrating quickly. As comedy giants take the stage, the film assumes it can always be as funny as them (if not more). This is seen through animatics, music cues, and awkward edits. For such a revolutionary show, there is seemingly nothing unique in the documentary’s presentation. The comedy created in the filmmaking tends to consistently fall flat, and it misunderstands the lit fire that it captures across its runtime. It struggles the most trying to tie together all of Michaels’ past works into one life-defining moment. 

Finishing ‘Lorne,’ a sense of accomplishment and celebration might be a few feelings that you run into. Being able to zoom out on a lifetime of astonishing work is sort of breathtaking. Even then, the further you zoom out, the more fascinating and genuine details are lost within the grand sculpture. Being caught up in being a well made and funny documentary, ‘Lorne’ forgets to take a step back and truly analyze the beauty at hand. Every Saturday at 11:30, there has to be something to air, and I guess this is what was left.