DANCES WITH FILMS FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! Nothing beats a really good mockumentary, but one where the lead actor carries it from start to finish is the best. Director Daniel J. Clark’s American Comic lives up to its title and more. The cinema verité-style mockumentary satirizes the world of stand-up comedy by following two up-and-coming comedians who, despite their superficial “cultural” differences, share striking similarities in egotism, self-destruction, and social awkwardness—two very different people, but are they?
Jay (screenwriter Joe Kwaczala) is a bearded, beanie-wearing Midwest grunge comedian, otherwise a scumbag, and cheap, always looking for his best-case scenario and completely self-absorbed, but broke. He has a weekly podcast and feels his freedom is under attack. On the flip side, Los Angeles-based comedian Jovan (Joe Kwaczala), whose local style and persona seem smart and likable, is a falsehood of enormous proportions that you may or may not see coming. His desire for attention and influencer-style comedy, including his wardrobe, is most amusing during his nonstop photo shoots, with photographers who dislike him clearly working for the money.
Jovan (Joe Kwaczala) strikes a pose in a bathtub in American Comic.
“The cinema verité-style mockumentary satirizes the world of stand-up comedy…”
As the lives and shows of Jay and Jovan unfold, it’s clear they both have enormous egos but also possess talent. Still, they continue to pursue goals like being guests on podcasts, participating in comedy festivals, and other high-profile opportunities. However, their past catches up with them, and their rise to stardom quickly crashes. What happens next might be shocking, or if you get a chance to see this film, you might see it coming (spoiler alert in review). I did not, and I now have a new appreciation for Joe Kwaczala.
American Comic incorporates great pacing in editing and story execution with a soundtrack that works. It is a good mockumentary with great role-playing, especially with some of the deadpan interactions. Clark leads the film with acting and production values that reach across all aspects of the production. The jokes work, and the stand-up routines are legit.
American Comic embraces its low-budget presentation in every detail, which contributes to its authenticity, from formulaic jokes to delivery — nothing is overlooked, discarded, or reused, culminating in a powerful punchline. Modern life is often amusing, and Kwaczala and Clark make it even more so.
American Comic screened at the 2025 Dances with Films Festival.
"…life is often amusing, and Kwaczala and Clark make it even more so."
