I like Saturday Night Live, but I wouldn’t say I’m a die-hard fan by any stretch. However, it is an enjoyable program and I do try to watch it as much as I can when the host and/or musical guest intrigues me or when there’re cast members I like on, because it typically delivers then. So, when Morgan Neville (Piece By Piece; Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) made a documentary on the man behind the inventive television show that changed the landscape forever, there was a certain level of interest on my part, particularly because I saw Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night (2024), which also highlighted Lorne Michaels and the first episode of Saturday Night Live which launched the show audiences have watched for over 50 years. So does Neville’s documentary on the man, the myth, the legend go beyond or does it just scratch the surface of one of television’s most elusive figure heads?
Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary LORNE, a Focus Features release. Photo courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
The documentary focuses on everything from Lorne himself to how the weekly show is created, from Monday night when the cast do their weekly meeting to his weekly dinner Thursday nights and the continuous cycle of changing the order of the show, cutting sketches, adding sketches back, and so forth, practically until it is showtime. What separates Lorne from other SNL documentaries, behind-the-curtain peeks, and the like, is that this is from the perspective of Lorne. Even interviewees in the documentary were shocked at the fact that Lorne had agreed to do this, no one thought he would, he likes to be private and seldom opens up. Yet, somehow, Neville and his team were able to get Lorne to pull back the curtain to reveal a real look at Lorne Michaels in a way we have never seen before. Some of the true highlights of the documentary are exploring the fact that no one really knows Lorne Michaels: they know who Lorne Michaels is, but they don’t know who Lorne is. This is highlighted by a segment with Weekend Update co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che where they talk about what they know about their boss, and friend, Lorne Michaels, and realize they know his name is Lorne Michaels. Whether this is played off for laughs, or reality, it’s possible it’s both as the aura surrounding Lorne Michaels is just that.
While there is so much more to be unpacked with Lorne as a human being, a character, and a boss, we don’t want to spoil too much as some things are better left to be experienced when visiting Lorne at home, potentially before the newest episode of Saturday Night Live. But there is something very important to distinguish: as huge a figure as he is, he seems humble and not above being made fun of, as almost every cast member has their own impersonation of him. Mike Myers (Austin Powers) has stated that Dr. Evil is an imitation of Lorne. Sarah Sherman (Nimona; Pizza Movie) was in an alternative cut of Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker where she was also doing a Lorne Michaels impersonation. Everyone has done their take and Lorne takes it in stride, which speaks to how down-to-Earth the man behind one of the longest running shows in history truly is.
While Neville’s direction here is great, there may not be a lot of information presented about the creation of SNL or Lorne Michaels if you’re a die-hard SNL fan. There are great anecdotes and great stories, which are more than enough to engage the audience, and its running time is not overtly long at under two hours. Lorne shines a little light on the man who just wanted to create something in a dead timeslot which ended up being a product for generations.
Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville’s documentary LORNE, a Focus Features release. Photo courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
The home release Blu-ray of Lorne does look spectacular, but there are a few things we should warn customers about before they run out to their local brick and mortar or click on that purchase link. First and foremost, for slipcover enthusiasts and collectors, there simply isn’t one, so getting this Day One may not be a need as long as it doesn’t go out of print. Secondly, the bigger issue for this home release is the lack of special features; no commentary or outtakes, despite all of the comedic talent involved. Maybe this is part of the charm and lore — a rare Lorne Michaels look as a documentary, without an ounce of anything that allows us, the audience, to see past the feature Neville crafted along with his team.
No bonus features available on this release.
Available on VOD and digital May 5th, 2026.
Available on Peacock June 5th, 2026.
Available on Blu-ray June 9th, 2026
For more information, head to the official Focus Features Lorne webpage.
Share this:
Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
Leave a Reply