André Is an Idiot Review – The Funniest Colon Cancer Documentary You Need to See (Spoiler Free)

Documentary: André Is an Idiot (2025)
Directed by: Tony Benna
Starring: André Ricciardi
Review by: Kirk Dulin
Review Type: SPOILER FREE

Who is André?

When we first meet André Ricciardi, he already feels like an old friend…or an acquaintance that we keep AT LEAST at an arm’s length distance away. Why? He’s crude, vulgar, sarcastic, and unpredictable. Over the course of his film, André Is an Idiot, he remains constant in his core beliefs and identity as he simultaneously documents his body betraying him to colon cancer. As his symptoms progress, you will find that “André the idiot”, and people like him, are worth bringing closer to enrich your life.

André Is an Idiot (So You Don’t Have to be)

André skipped his recommended colonoscopy because he’s a busy guy. He has a wife, two daughters, a great job at a marketing agency, and he does a lot of recreational drugs. So when he finally does make the appointment, he goes into it with a blasé attitude of checking the box for an awkward procedure thousands of people complete each day – a camera up your rectum, scanning for signs of cancer. When the doctors wake him up, André is ready to crack jokes, but he is immediately met with a kind of uncertainty in his life that he’s never had to deal with before – his own mortality. As untraditional as he lives his life, he receives his Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis as an accidental off-the-cuff comment vs. the second room, surrounded by family, and the orchestrated pamphlet shuffle exchange.

You’ll understand and accept quickly that André has never and will never choose the “normal” route of ANY choice presented to him, especially coping with cancer. So he does the most unexpected thing he can think of, which is also the most André thing – he decides to create an intimate documentary of his battle with colon cancer.

Why You Should Watch This Idiot

Forgive me for already typing “André” 47 times in this article. But I promise…it’s fitting. In the talking heads of this documentary, his name is mentioned over and over again; each friend or family member – including his own daughters who call him lovingly by his name instead of “dad” – have to speak his name then pause to prepare the audience what they are about to share. And no matter what IS shared, the disbelief is followed by laughter, shrugging, and understanding. André will only be himself, and he will never change…for better or for worse. In the case of this chapter of his life, it is inspiring.

Since André is one of the most honest people you will ever meet, he holds nothing back. He freely discusses his failures in life, ones in which he interprets as very brief mistakes despite their weight or negative impact on his life. He does not spend any more time on them besides saying “I probably should’ve done this instead”. Within the same breath, he is already projecting his plans, emotions, and full commitment into how he will pivot to the next experience in his life. He discusses his absolute chaotic start to his marriage, which turns into one of the most romantic accidents a screenwriter could never even dream up. With every personal detail he shares, you are being authentically invited to the most delicate moments of his life, which all feels like one big party.

Sorry – one big André Party.

As he contemplates every obstacle that cancer comes with – chemo, side effects, weight loss, radiation – every piece of bad news is met with humor. André somehow drops an absolutely devastating piece of news about his progress and setbacks, then displays 2 minutes or more of claymation art depicting the horrible thing that he’s going through. That kind of outlook on life is encouraging, and oh so unique to this man.

Colon Cancer is no joke. I’ve lost a very dear uncle to it AND a college friend. It is aggressive, ugly, and unrelenting. If you’ve suffered the darkest moments of this disease by yourself or with someone, it will hit very close to home. André goal is not to make light of his or your situation, but rather to bring LIFE back to such unfathomable circumstances.

André perfectly frames this film as a photo album of his life. In the beginning, he rips open the scrapbook of his past to catch you up to where he needs you to be. In the middle, he is writing it with you as he goes. And by the end, he’s preparing you for what’s next. Not the closing of a book, but how you can add to your own story, and be a bit more like André…if you dare.

Score: 10/10 kernels
Review By: Kirk Dulin

André Is an Idiot officially releases in theatres nationwide on March 27, 2026. Save the date for his colonoscopy (and yours) as soon as possible.