Remember Pat? The androgynous SNL character that had everyone guessing in the ’90s? A new documentary digs into what happened when that joke stopped being funny.

“We Are Pat,” directed by Rowan Haber, revisits Julia Sweeney’s iconic creation through a modern lens. The film started at Tribeca last year, ran theatrically in May, and just hit digital platforms this week.

Here’s the hook: Haber assembled an all-trans writers’ room and challenged them to create a new 2025 Pat sketch. The doc features trans comedians like Molly Kearney, Abby McEnany, and River Gallo taking on a character that once excluded them.

Sweeney herself wasn’t sure what to expect. “I was interviewed over several years for this documentary, never knowing if it would be sympathetic or problematic,” she said. “Much like Pat, Pat-self, the documentary holds both at the same time.”

The film also includes Harper Steele, the former SNL head writer who came out as trans, and interviews with Kevin Nealon plus a lineup of trans comics reshaping the narrative.

Alan Cumming executive produced alongside Lilly Wachowski and a stack of other indie champions. Emmy winner Caryn Capotosto produced.

For indie filmmakers tackling cultural artifacts that haven’t aged well, this is a masterclass in how to reopen the conversation without trying to erase it.