What compels an artist to keep creating when the audience remains niche and the rewards stay modest? That question drives I’m “George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story. Ryan Jacobi‘s documentary follows a comedian who has spent over a decade performing as the burly salt-and-pepper Star Wars creator. It’s one of the strangest, most committed comedy experiments in recent memory and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, having known nothing about Ratliff or his podcast going into the watch.

Connor Ratliff (creator of the serialized podcast Dead Eyes) hosts The George Lucas Talk Show. It’s a live improvised talk show where he interviews real guests — everyone from Bob Odenkirk to Rachel Zegler — while dressed as Lucas. Complete with frosted hair and flannel shirts, Ratliff inhabits the role fully. His sidekick is Watto, the junk dealer from The Phantom Menace, played by Griffin Newman (Disenchanted). Producer Patrick Cotnoir books the guests and is generally in charge of keeping the chaos up and running. What started at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2014 evolved into pandemic-era livestreams, charity marathons, and sold-out theatrical runs across the country.

Jacobi presents Ratliff’s dogged determination as something to aspire to but one that comes with its share of woes. Suprisingly, it may disappoint some to know that it has very little to do with Star Wars. It’s about the cumulative weight that years of dedication to a passion project can place on the person carrying it. Persistently haunted by the thought that his ultra-niche comedy project might wind up eclipsing his bigger creative goals that keep getting pushed aside, Ratliff reflects on the energy suck the show can be to his body and mental state. The film treats his “George Lucas” persona not as a mask like many performers tend to do but as an extension of himself. Through this lens, Ratliff explores his own insecurities, creative drives, and need for meaning.  And that’s kind of awesome.

Newman and Cotnoir emerge as essential voices throughout. They offer perspectives on what it means to keep a tight-knit creative endeavor alive year after year when success isn’t guaranteed. As a result, the documentary never inflates the story beyond what it is: a performer building something unconventional in a business that rarely rewards unconventional paths.

And then there are the extras. This two-disc special edition is staggering. Thirty audio commentaries on this disc (with an additional twenty-seven available online) — a Guinness-worthy number that Cotnoir has actually submitted for consideration — feature everyone from the cast and crew to former guests. Rich Sommer, Zach Cherry,comic book legend Brian Michael Bendis, and podcasters from “Star Wars Minute” and “Blast Points” all contribute tracks. Additionally, there are extended interviews, deleted scenes, Q&As, full archival shows, and a booklet with a director’s note. A digital code unlocks even more material that couldn’t fit on the discs.