10 Mockumentary Movies You Need to Watch – Listverse
A mockumentary is a film genre that presents fictional events in the style of a real documentary. These types of films are often used to comically mock real-life events, tropes, or the documentary medium itself, but they can also be used to enhance a film’s sense of realism.
In any case, the mockumentary is an art form that is not easy to master. But the films on this list, ranging from over-the-top comedies to controversial horrors, all do well.
Related: 10 Disturbing True Crime Documentaries You Can Watch Only Once
10 The delicate art of parking (2003)
This 2003 Canadian comedy directed by Trent Carlson stars Dov Tiefenbach as Lonny Goosen, a documentary filmmaker with $3,000 in unpaid fines and a recently towed car, who decides to make a film portraying his nemesis, Vancouver’s parking enforcement officers. , ridicules in a show of revenge. . After hiring a group of friends to help him complete his project, Lonny soon finds enough people who are just as annoyed with the parking enforcement officers to interview. However, things take a turn after the group witnesses a parking attendant fall into a coma after a violent confrontation.
The delicate art of parking is a film with a simple premise, one that seems to go for low-hanging fruit in the form of the world’s most hated professions. But as Ryan Cracknell wrote in a positive review of the film, the film works “because of its strong characters. They are funny, quirky and above all realistic.”[1]
9 Cult (2019)
Set in 1999, this indie mockumentary follows the misadventures of a cult sect called Friends at the End (FATE), who believe that a comet will soon cause Armageddon and that they are the chosen ones whose souls will survive. If that sounds eerily familiar, that’s because the film is clearly influenced by the bizarre and tragic story of the real-life cult known as Heaven’s Gate. But despite the film’s dark subject matter, which could have turned exploitative if handled incorrectly, Sect is an endearingly funny and heartwarming watch.
The film is written and directed by Luke Ibbetson, who also stars as the filmmaker trying to shoot a documentary about the group. What he discovers is a motley crew of vulnerable and sympathetic outcasts who are just looking for a place to belong. Unfortunately, they are abused by the cult’s matriarch and its mysterious and elusive leader, culminating in the film’s harrowing and heartbreaking final act.[2]
8 7 Days in Hell (2015)
Directed by Jake Szymanski and written by Murray Miller, 7 days in hell is a sports comedy about two tennis rivals, Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg) and Charles Poole (Kit Harington), who battle it out in a seven-day match that ends up being the longest in history. The film is inspired by a real tennis match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut that lasted several days during the 2010 Wimbledon Championships.
7 days in hell perhaps inspired by real life and shot in a documentary style, but it goes all out with its over-the-top variety of comedy, including several appearances from a foul-mouthed and violent Queen Elizabeth (June Squibb). It’s undeniably a bit silly, but as critic Karen Han writes, it’s also a “pitch-perfect [parody] of how egocentric such documentaries can sometimes be.”[3]
7 Popstar: Never Stop, Never Stop (2016)
Another mockumentary film starring Andy Samberg that parodies modern documentaries is Popstar: Never stop, never stop. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone and written by and starring the trio Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone), this musical comedy follows the misadventures of musical prodigy turned faded pop star Conner Friel.
The film’s plot, which revolves around Conners’ desperate attempts to hang on to fame (which often fail catastrophically), isn’t the most groundbreaking ever conceived. The jokes are pretty obvious and low hanging when you think about it. However, the cast’s insatiable energy and ear for a pop hit soar Pop star to greater heights. And the film’s subject, that of spoiled, self-indulgent megastars, is as relevant as ever.[4]
6 Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
Directed by Steve Barron, this satirical comedy sports film stars Ricky Tomlinson as Mike Bassett, a lower division English football manager who is unexpectedly given the job of managing the England international football team after it turns out no one with more qualifications wants the job. Aided by a coaching team consisting of former assistant manager turned car salesman Lonnie Urquart (Philip Jackson) and yes-man coach Dave Dodds (Bradley Walsh), Bassett is tasked with taking his team of players to World Cup qualifying and beyond to guide. But early on, it seems like almost nothing can go right for the team.
Mike Bassett: England manager received mixed reviews upon release, but has since become a cult favorite among football and non-football fans alike, even spawning a television spin-off titled Mike Bassett: Manager in 2005.[5]
5 Best in Show (2000)
Directed, starring and co-written (with Eugene Levy) by Christopher Guest, Best of show is a comedy film that follows five participants in a prestigious dog show as they travel to and compete in the event. But as you might expect, it’s the dogs’ often neurotic and dysfunctional owners who steal the show here.
The film, which featured performances by Catherine O’Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch, received critical acclaim upon release, with one review from critic David Ansen describing the film as “smart, vibrantly alert and smooth as a true reference to the smell of fresh game.” Reviewers also praised the spontaneous performances, improvised dialogue, intelligent comedy and realistic tone.[6]
4 Ghost Watch (1992)
As we’ve seen, most mockumentaries tend toward the realm of comedy. But in 1992, writer Stephen Volk and director Lesley Manning teamed up to create a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Halloween special that would become one of the most gruesome and controversial shows ever broadcast on British television: Ghost watch.
Although this one-off special was filmed weeks before broadcast, Ghost watch was presented to the public as a live paranormal investigation that took place in a family home in Northolt, London, where a strange entity haunted the residents.
To increase the sense of realism, the show used well-known presenters (including the old face of the BBC, Michael Parkinson) instead of actors, filmed sections in a studio environment and provided audiences with a telephone hotline. In hopes of ensuring no one panicked, viewers who called had to be assured by an operator that the show was fake. But that night, the phone line was overloaded with so many calls that few people could get through, leaving viewers in the dark about the legitimacy of the broadcast.
Although it was well received by some, the broadcast of Ghost watch sparked a massive public outcry in the days following the broadcast, with national tabloids fueling the fury. A pastor claimed the BBC may have awakened demonic powers, rumors spread that two children had PTSD, and an 18-year-old viewer with learning disabilities took his life days after the broadcast. As a result, the BBC never dared to broadcast the special again. Nevertheless, the film has since gained a cult following online.[7]
3 Borat: Cultural Lessons from America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Directed by Larry Charles, this dark comedy stars Sacha Baron Cohen in his most iconic role as Borat Sagdiyev, a Kazakh journalist on a mission to make a documentary about the United States. Along the way, Borat falls in love with Pamela Anderson, causes a stir at a rodeo and fights his producer naked in a hotel lobby. But while the film contains many hilarious skits, it’s the real-life, unscripted interactions Borat has with many of the Americans he meets who think he has no understanding of American customs that make the film truly hilarious to watch. to watch.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance as Borat earned him a Golden Globe, and the film was a commercial and critical success. However, it also caused a lot of controversy. The film was denounced by the Kazakh government and banned in several countries. Several participants tried to sue the makers. Nevertheless, it remains beloved by many and would eventually spawn a sequel in 2020, titled Borat subsequent movie film.[8]
2 What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
This unique New Zealand horror comedy from 2014 follows the ‘lives’ of several vampire housemates who live together in a flat in Wellington. Because they are all hundreds of years old, the vampires have trouble adapting to modern life and frequently feud with the town’s other unholy residents, including an oddly polite pack of werewolves. What only complicates their nights is the recent addition to their group, Nick, who struggles with his new blood-sucking existence.
Written, directed and produced by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What we do in the shadows is a fantastic parody of both vampire-related media and modern reality shows. It was also both a critical and commercial success, spawning not one but two television spin-offs, including the FX series of the same name and the New Zealand series. Wellington paranormal.[9]
1 This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Also known as This is Spın̈al Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi, this mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner, follows the lives of members of ‘one of England’s loudest bands’, Spinal Tap, as they embark on what turns out to be a life-changing tour. What follows is a satire not only on the excesses and self-indulgent behavior of rock bands, but also on music documentaries and their tendency to idolize their subjects.
Despite critical praise, This is a spinal tap was only a moderate commercial success upon release. However, the film found a cult following in the years following its release. Today, the film is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time and is credited with launching the mockumentary genre, not to mention the term “turned up to eleven.” In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry because it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress.[10]