‘Are We Good?’ Review: Comedian and Podcast Legend Marc Maron Confronts Life and Loss in This Powerful Documentary

“You’re trying to start trouble,” comedian and podcasting legend Marc Maron says directly to the camera at the beginning of Are We Good?, right before he goes on stage at The Comedy Store. He follows this up by saying, “You’re going to destroy me,” which seems natural coming from Maron, who on the surface seems like a constant pessimist. As John Mulaney says early on in the documentary, Maron is “having a bad time all day,” then he goes on stage and kills. It’s part of who he is and has been for decades, and it’s that attitude that has made him one of the most important and hilarious figures in comedy today.

But Are We Good? finds Maron at a point where he’s close to being destroyed. In 2019, Maron started dating filmmaker Lynn Shelton (Humpday, Your Sister’s Sister, Sword of Trust), but two months into the lockdown in 2020, Shelton unexpectedly died. A year later, Maron is still understandably dealing with his grief, questioning what he should do with this feeling in his own comedy, and trying to process how to move forward after losing someone who meant the world to him. Are We Good?, from director Steven Feinartz, explores Maron rebuilding his life after losing Shelton, finding ways to express himself through his comedy, and the cathartic impact it can have in the wake of tragedy.

‘Are We Good?’ Is a Moving and Funny Look at Marc Maron’s Life and His Loss

In Are We Good?, Feinartz is balancing a lot of different elements centered around Maron. This documentary works partially as a biographical look at Maron’s life and career that made him who he is today, as well as captures his viewpoints on comedy in the present, the state of the world, and his own general feelings in the day-to-day. But most importantly, Are We Good? is about a man who found the person he’d been looking for his entire life in his 50s, then had her unexpectedly taken away from him, and how he deals with that horrifying blow. In exploring this, we also see Maron at work as he builds his first comedy special after the death of Shelton.

Maron always bares his soul on his WTF podcast and on his live Instagram posts, but Are We Good? takes the comedian’s openness to another level. Maron lovingly discusses his relationship with Shelton, and we glimpse how even the slightest reminder of her can still bring him to tears. It’s heartbreaking, but also extremely beautiful to see how important she still is to him. Through Maron’s pain, we witness a very relatable side of grief, where life can be entirely normal, then something comes to your brain that reminds you of what you’ve lost.

It’s also wonderful to see Maron working out his feelings on the stage. There are several moments where Maron has prepared jokes and concepts he wants to work out, only for something to remind him of Shelton, and he goes off on a tangent. But what makes these moments so powerful is seeing just how much Maron lights up in discussing his time with her. It’s still clearly painful and extremely difficult for him to work through, but there’s also an underlying joy at the opportunity to talk about Shelton once again and share just how much she meant to him.

As a look at Maron’s life and career, Feinartz gives an abbreviated breakdown, from his beginnings in the ‘80s, his questionable friendship with Sam Kinison, his history in the industry and helping start the alt-comedy movement, to his frustrations with the comedy world and eventually starting his podcast. As one would expect, Maron doesn’t skimp on discussing his issues with addiction or the highs and lows of his career. Despite having built an impressive career, interviewing everyone from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney in his garage recording studio, Maron still feels like he isn’t quite as successful as he’d like to be.

‘Are We Good?’ Captures the Spirit of Marc Maron

In looking at Maron’s career, Feinartz keeps it fairly to a minimum, as he likely assumes that people watching Are We Good? are already familiar with the ups and downs of the comedian and podcaster. While it’s clear that Feinartz is asking Maron questions that we don’t get to hear, in order to direct the conversation, it’s disappointing that this doesn’t become more of a back-and-forth between him and Maron at times. Maron is always great in his monologues that kick off his WTF episodes, but it’s fantastic to hear him discussing these ideas with other people. Throughout the film, we hear episodes of WTF where he talks to people like Andrew Garfield and Patton Oswalt about grief, and while we’re only hearing the audio of those interviews, they’re still captivating and moving in the direction these conversations go. Showing Maron walking around his house as he talks about loss is effective, but having Feinartz as part of the discussion might’ve been even better.

In recent months, Maron also hasn’t shied away from talking about the state of comedy, be it discussing “anti-woke” comedians or the absurdity of how many signed up for Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival. Here, we get a glimpse of how Maron fares within the comedy world and his frustrations with it, having to go out after a comedian who couldn’t be any more different from his style, or getting into the other podcasting comedians who have risen in the ranks. Even though Maron is one of the most respected comedians in the world at this point, he still seems to feel out of place and confused by where the world of comedy is at now.

Still, it’s warming to watch Maron work through his upcoming hour and test the waters in how far he can go in his blending of humor and loss. For example, he questions a joke about considering taking a selfie with Shelton the last time he saw her, and we see how it goes from an idea to something that works beautifully in his finished set. Feinartz would go on to direct this set, Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark, and the behind-the-scenes growth of tragedy into something funny and moving is compelling.

One of the oddest things about any episode of WTF is how Maron can rail about anything that frustrates him at the time, yet there’s also this feeling that things will ultimately be okay. Things might be shit, but in the end, another day is just around the corner. The title Are We Good? is what Maron tends to end his interviews with, a sort of conclusion that sets things back to normalcy, regardless of where the conversation has just gone. Similarly, despite being about grief, Are We Good? is optimistic in the end. Shelton will live in the heart of Maron for the rest of his life, and as sad as it is, it’s also utterly beautiful and heartwarming. Near the end of the film, Maron turns 60, and he’s still trying new things and discovering new sources of joy.

Earlier this year, Maron announced WTF would be ending, and while it’s going to be sad to see the podcast go, Are We Good? makes one excited to see where Maron’s adventures take him next. Are We Good? isn’t just an enthralling look at pain, loss, and how we handle unexpected grief; it’s also a reminder that life is always full of surprises — both good and bad — and that unexpected journey will certainly have you asking “WTF?” throughout.

Are We Good? comes to theaters on October 3.