In Ben Berman’s ‘The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,’ nothing is as it seems

When Ben Berman set out to make his first documentary, the plan was to tell a poignant story about The Amazing Johnathan. The comedian and magician was a former year-round headliner in Las Vegas, who had stepped back from his career in 2014, saying a doctor had told him he had only a year to live. Turns out, Johnathan didn’t die in a year, and he decided to launch a comeback tour. It seemed like a great story, but Berman soon found himself dealing with all sorts of complications and unwelcome surprises. Soon it wasn’t so clear whether Berman was making a film about Johnathan or about his own struggles in dealing with Johnathan. Berman sat down with us to pull back the curtain on his new film, ‘The Amazing Johnathan Documentary,’--as much as he could, anyway. without spoiling everything. We wouldn’t normally say this, but if you want to be completely surprised--you might check out the film on Hulu before you listen to the show.