The mockumentary film is not an easy skill to master, but these five films do it well. The mockumentary style of filmmaking can often be confused with simple parody. However, parody films often entail that there is a previous movie or style to be parodied (i.e.Vampires Suck,which is a parody of theTwilightseries). While mockumentaries are films made in a documentary style used to"mock" a societal commonality, a common media trope, or simply the human condition itself. They are not meant to mock a specific piece of media but are made to humorously joke about a specific type or group or people, or media while depicting them as if it takes them seriously.
Updated March 2023: To keep the article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Rafa Boladeras.
The mockumentaries listed below are included to show the films within that umbrella that are able to “mock” accurately and in a joking manner. These films are not only well-made but entertaining, well-written, and easily consumed. The films below are palatable for all types of viewers who are just looking for a good laugh. The mockumentary style of film isoften thought of as “offensive"because it mocks the documentary style of the film. However, while “mock” is in the title of the style, it is not meant to mock documentaries (which the style respects), it is meant to mock common media tropes through comedy. Mockumentaries are not only hilarious, but are also often breezy to watch for (most of) the family.
10Incident at Loch Ness (2004)
Incident at Loch Nessis a mockumentary made by Zak Penn (writer ofThe Incredible HulkandThe Avengers)that starts as a documentary about the Loch Ness Monster and has the collaboration of the one and only Werner Herzog. The film mimics many documentaries, but especially those of the German filmmaker and his unique stories, including the impossibility of the task, as the crew gets frustrated with the lack of Loch Ness Monster proof they’re finding on the trip. The film has a comedic tone, but also uses moments of suspense, as they attempt to find the unique monster.
Drop Dead Gorgeousfollows the contestants of the fictional Sarah Rose Cosmetics Mount Rose American Teen Princess Pageant in a small town in Minnesota. The world of beauty pageants is easily satirized, and the film does a great job with it. From how the participants are willing to do anything to win, to helicopter mums. If that wasn’t enough, halfway through the film takes an abrupt right turn, as many of the contestants start getting killed in freaky accidents, using the mockumentary structure too much more than some jokes. The film was directed by Michael Patrick Jann (Reno 911!) Knows everything about satire, and has an incredible cast at his disposal to make it even funnier. The cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams, Denise Richards, Allison Janney, and Ellen Barkin, to name a few.
8District 9 (2009)
In an alternate reality, an alien spacecraft appeared in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1982. The authorities confined the aliens to internment camps, which looked pretty much the same as what happened in South Africa during the apartheid. That’sDistrict 9,a unique sci-fi mockumentary that uses fictional interviews, found footage, newsreels, and security cameras to make the world much more possible and real. The film’s protagonist Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is a bureaucrat that gets into trouble when he starts to transform into an alien. Directed, and written by Neil Blomkamp (Elysium), this film catapulted his career and Copley’s, making them part of the Hollywood system from there on. The movie was a surprising success and was even nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
7Forgotten Silver (1995)
Many years beforeLord of the Rings,Peter Jackson (and co-director Costa Botes), madeForgotten Silver,a mockumentary about a pioneering New Zealand filmmaker called Colin McKenzie. The movie uses all the documentary tricks, to show old footage from McKenzie’s movies, proving he was the first filmmaker to create the tracking shot, and the close up, and even have sound and color films. The ruse works even better because of the interviews with real-known people like actor Sam Neill and movie critic Leonard Maltin.
The TV movie was released as if it was a real documentary on New Zealand TV, and it wasn’t until after it aired that Jackson and Botes admitted it was all fake, although some of the unique deadpan humor, and discovering by mistake cinema advancements by McKenzie might’ve given it away before. In any case, this is one of the first projects that helped Jackson make a name for himself.
6The Rutles (1978)
Made by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame,The Rutlesparodies the Beatles story, while also becomingone of the best movies involving the band. The mockumentary uses a similar story as the one with the real Fab Four and parodies many of their songs and lyrics (from “I Am the Walrus” to “I Am the Waitress!”, for example. The most surprising fact is that some of the songs are as magnetic and catchy as the real ones, making the fake documentary even better. Idle was already an established artist, and he used his Rolodex to get cameos from Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and even musicians of the stature of Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, and George Harrison, a Beatle himself, that appears in the film stealing from the band. If you like Monty Python and the Beatles, this is the film for you.
5What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
What We Do in the Shadowsis a much different kind of mockumentary than the classic type of this style. The film follows four vampires as they go about their daily life. Up until this point, mockumentaries were about the living, butWhat We Do in the Shadowsbrings a horror perspective to the genre. The film frames the vampires as “just like humans,” but they drink blood and only go out at night. The hilarious work of Taika Waititi in this film is what made it such a hit for viewers. Waititi not only starred in the film, but he directed, produced, and wrote the story as well.
The film was so well-loved that years later itspawned a show on Hulu, which has also been widely successful.What We Do in the Shadowsalso launched Taika Waititi’s career on a much larger scale, helping make him the Marvel master he is today, and thus all fans of his should watch this film if they haven’t already.
47 Days in Hell (2015)
Andy Samberg is a regular in the mockumentary space, but this one is a bit different, since7 Days in Hellis a sports mockumentary. It centers around the fictitious tennis players Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg) and Charles Poole (Kit Harrington) who end up playing the longest tennis match in ‘history.’ As an actor known for dramatic roles, Harrington is able to be absolutely hilarious in this film (especially for tennis fans). He and Samberg build on each other to create the most overdramatized and satirized tennis match in the world.
The match ends not with a winner but with the two players beginning a physical altercation (cheered on by Queen Elizabeth II) which ridiculously results in (spoiler) both of their deaths. The film is obviously not how most tennis matches go but creates a light-hearted, comedic space within the typically very serious sports documentary space.
Related:Christopher Guest Reveals Real-Life Inspiration Behind Spinal Tap
3This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This is Spinal Tapis well regarded as the film thatcreated the mockumentary trend as a whole. The film centers around a rock band that could for all intents and purposes be any hair metal group from the 1980s. It follows the band Spinal Tap as they embark on a world tour to promote their new album and, of course, hijinks ensue. The chaos that follows Spinal Tap is almost unbelievable, but it doesn’t have to be believable to be funny. This film is so well regarded that not only is it a cult classic, but it is even in the Library of Congress as a culturally significant film.
This is Spinal Tapwas not a commercial success, but over time the critical acclaim caused more people to seek out the film, creating one of the most-quoted movies as a result.This is Spinal Tapstill stands as one of the best films in the genre, and helped turn Christopher Guest and his friends into the mockumentary masters.
2Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Popstarisn’t recognized as a masterpiece, but it seems objectively hilarious whether one is a fan ofAndy Sambergor not. This film not only stars Samberg but is produced by his comedy group, The Lonely Island, and centers around the titular star who pursues a solo career after his successful boy band breaks up. Anyone who has ever followed pop culture knows that this is something that happens constantly and is also a very common trope in media. Samberg plays Conner, the aforementioned pop star, in a way that emulates andsatirizes every male pop star created in the last 30 years.
Samberg makes Conner hilarious yet weirdly relatable to viewers, so viewers are able to empathize with Conner’s odd problems and laugh at his crazy antics. As Conner’s star grows, he goes back to his roots and reunites with his former bandmates to learn the “meaning of friendship.” A reunion is what fans of every major broken-up band want, after all, so the film fulfills the fantasy.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingdoesn’t get the mockumentary acclaim it deserves, but with the right amount of love and attention, the film could easily become a fan favorite.
Related:Lonely Island’s Popstar Soundtrack Comes to Vinyl for First Time from Mondo Music
1Borat (2006)
Boratis one of the most well-known and beloved mockumentaries ever. The film centers around the titular Borat (played by Sacha Baron Cohen), who has come to America to make a film about the country’s culture for the government of Kazakhstan. As usual for Baron Cohen, ridiculousness follows Borat as he adventures the landscape of this new country. He’s absolutely hilarious here,in one of his best performances ever, but he is able to capture the mockumentary style of comedy the easiest.Boratis not exactly a politically correct film, but for fans is a cult classic that they adore. This love allowed Cohen tocreate a sequel to the film in 2020 with more modern jokes. No matter what kind of criticism the film receives,Boratwill always be one of the most beloved mockumentaries.
