Comedian Doc 'Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story' Trailer

"Maria is a true net positive in this world." Netflix has revealed the official trailer for a biopic documentary film titled Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, a story about the life & jokes of comedian and actor Maria Bamford. The doc originally premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. This is one of four new major docs about comedy and iconic comedians that Netflix is releasing this fall – along with: Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald, Who Is Martin Mull?, and SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of. Since the 1990s, Maria Bamford has built a career on turning radical honesty into radical comedy. In this doc, co-directors Judd Apatow & Neil Berkeley trace the comedian’s path — and pathos — from her childhood in Duluth, MN, to her hard-won fame in Los Angeles and her present-day life, showing how Bamford's mental health journey and her family relationships shaped her art and career. This looks like an unconventional documentary about a totally unconventional comedian. Should be a good one. Trailer for Apatow & Berkeley's doc Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, from YouTube: Maria Bamford has built a career on turning radical honesty into radical comedy — often blurring the line between performance and personal crisis. In this doc film, co-directors Judd Apatow […]