List of mockumentaries

Films by genre

This is a list of mockumentaries. Mockumentary or mock documentary is a genre of film and television, a parody presented as a documentary recording real life.

Film

Mockumentary Films
Name Year Description
The 1 Up Fever 2013 Mockumentary about Bitcoin and augmented reality video games.
2gether 2000 Spoof of boy bands like N*Sync and The Backstreet Boys.
7 Days in Hell 2015 A fictional documentary-style exposé on the rivalry between two of the greatest tennis players of all time who battled it out in a 2001 match that lasted seven days.
ABBA: The Movie 1977 Mockumentary comedy-drama film about the Swedish pop group ABBA's Australian tour.
AIC 23 2013 Mockumentary about Film Studies professor Alan Poole McLard on his journey to make a documentary about Alice in Chains interviewing other musicians who have been influenced by the band.
All You Need Is Cash 1978 An updated version was released in 2002. A parody of music documentaries using a fictional counterpart of The Beatles.
The Atomic Cafe 1982 A black humor satire about the threat of nuclear war using only a broad range of archival material from the 1940s to 1960s.
Auditions 1978 Mockumentary about the porn industry.
BabaKiueria 1986 An Australian film on the reversed relations between Aboriginal Australians and European Australians.
The Baby Formula 2009 About a couple of two lesbian women who both get pregnant through an experimental stem cell procedure.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon 2005 A film crew follows around a serial killer in training.
Believe 2007 The story of multi-level marketing and a failed pyramid scheme.
Best in Show 2000 About the contestants at a national dog show;[1] one of several mockumentaries written and directed by Christopher Guest.
The Big Tease 1999 A Scottish hairdresser's journey to the U.S. for a hairdressing competition, filmed with mockumentary elements.
Bob Roberts 1992 Tim Robbins satiric film about a right-wing folk singer's crooked election campaign.[1]
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen's outrageous depiction of an over-the-top Kazakh journalist's journey through the United States.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm 2020 The sequel to Borat, which depicts the title character's second journey to the USA, with an attempt to arrange a marriage between his daughter and a senior member of the GOP.
The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down 2006 A fictional guide to teach inexperienced youth about all things involved with "getting down", while also pointing out some of the pitfalls associated with the party lifestyle.
Brothers of the Head 2005 The story of two conjoined twins (played by real-life twin actors Harry and Luke Treadaway) who form a punk rock band.
Brüno 2009 About Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Austrian fashion journalist in a journey through the United States.
Burn Hollywood Burn 1998 About a movie director who prevents severe editing of his latest film by stealing it.
The Calcium Kid 2004 Boxing documentary charting the unexpected rise to fame of a milkman who is an amateur boxer.
The Canadian Conspiracy 1985 About a supposed Canadian plan to subvert the United States by taking over its media.
CB4 1993 "Rapumentary" starring Chris Rock about the story of a fictional group loosely based on N.W.A and 2 Live Crew.
Chalk 2007 The experience of three teachers and one assistant principal over the course of an entire school year.
The Clowns 1970 Federico Fellini's larger-than-life portrait of the art of clownery.
Comic Book: The Movie 2004 Direct-to-DVD release about a comic book fanboy dealing with the unfaithful film adaptation of his favorite character, set to the backdrop of the 2002 San Diego Comic-Con.
Confessions of a Porn Addict 2008 About a man's quest to get his wife back after she left him for being addicted to porn.
Confetti 2006 British mockumentary about a fashion magazine wedding competition.
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America 2004 An alternate history take in which the Confederate States of America won the American Civil War.
Dark Side of the Moon 2002 A French mockumentary portraying the Moon landing as staged in a movie lot by Stanley Kubrick.
David Holzman's Diary 1967 A false autobiography by Jim McBride, which interrogates the art of documentary-making.
A Day Without a Mexican 2004 A fantasy satire in which all Mexicans in California suddenly disappear.
Death of a President 2006 A depiction of an assassination of then-President George W. Bush.
Death to 2020 2020 British mockumentary by Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones which features a series of fictional characters discussing US and UK events of 2020 including the COVID-19 pandemic and US presidential election.
The Delicate Art of Parking 2003 Canadian mockumentary about parking enforcement officers.
Dill Scallion 1999 About the rise and fall of a country-western singer, much in the way of This Is Spinal Tap.
Dismissed 2024 Romanian mockumentary about a freelance journalist who investigates a mysterious AI corporation after a fire claims the life of its star employee.
District 9 2009 Includes elements of mockumentary in depicting the struggles of an alien species living in immigrant camps in Johannesburg.
Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999 A camera crew follows a beauty pageant contestants in a small town in Minnesota.
Dva kapitana II 1992 Russian mockumentary about the events of the early 20th century.
Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo 2008 Les Claypool plays the role of drummer-singer Lapland "Lapdog" Miclovik of rising jam-band Electric Apricot, heading to the holy grail of festivals, Festeroo.
Everybody Dies by the End 2022 A film crew follows a cult director for the creation of his final picture.
The Falls 1980 By Peter Greenaway, documenting the cases of 92 victims of the fictional VUE (violent unknown event).
Farce of the Penguins 2007 Direct-to-video parody of March of the Penguins.
Fear of a Black Hat 1994 The story of the fictional rap group Niggaz with Hats (N.W.H.), as it evolves alongside the genre, from its popular origins to the advent of gangsta rap.
Fellowship of the Dice 2005 Story of a first time gamer's introduction to the role-playing game world.
Finishing the Game 2007 Depicting the search for "a new Bruce Lee" to finish The Game of Death.
First on the Moon 2005 Russian mockumentary about a fictional 1930s Soviet landing on the Moon.
The Flying Scissors 2009 Following a handful of individuals preparing for a rock-paper-scissors competition.
Forgotten Silver 1995 Peter Jackson's fictional documentary about a "forgotten" New Zealand pioneer filmmaker.
FUBAR 2002 About two members of the head-banger subculture (with a sequel in 2010).
Fudge 44 2005 An Irish mockumentary about six puppets in a financially impoverished children's puppet theater in Tokyo, who locals believe came to life and robbed a nearby bank to avoid being put out of business.
G-SALE 2003 Mockumentary about garage sale fanatics.
Gamers: The Movie 2006 About players trying to set a record playing a Dungeons & Dragons-like game.
Get Ready to be Boyzvoiced 2000 Following fictional Norwegian boy band Boyzvoice.
Hard Core Logo 1996 The final tour of an aged punk band, as a model for the death of "true" punk rock.
The Heavenly Kings 2006 Follows the fictional Cantopop boy band Alive, fronted by Daniel Wu, who also directed the film.
A Hole in My Heart 2004 About a man who films a porn in his apartment with the help of a friend and an attention-seeking starlet.
Houston, We Have a Problem! (film) 2016 About the Yugoslavia space program sold to the USA.
I'm Still Here 2010 Satirical film revolving around the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix as he announces his retirement from acting in favor of a career as a hip-hop artist.
Incident at Loch Ness 2004 About a filmmaker (Werner Herzog) attempting to make a documentary about the mythological Loch Ness Monster.
Interview with the Assassin 2002 About a cameraman who obtains the confession of the actual assassin who shot John F. Kennedy.
It's All Gone Pete Tong 2004 Comedy following the tragic life of legendary DJ Frankie Wilde, from his peak to his battle with a hearing disorder.
I, Tonya 2017 Black comedy focusing on the life and career of figure skater Tonya Harding and the assault on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan.
Jackie's Back 1999 Comedy chronicle of the life and career of Jackie Washington (Jenifer Lewis), a 1960s/1970s R&B diva vying for a comeback.
Kenny 2006 The life of a portable toilet installer in Melbourne, Australia.
Killing Gunther 2017 About a group of assassins banding together to kill the world's greatest hitman, Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
The Last Polka 1985 John Candy and Eugene Levy mockumentary about the last concert of the Shmenge Brothers, characters developed on Second City Television.
LolliLove 2004 A story about a husband and wife team (James Gunn and Jenna Fischer) who form a self-serving charity to give lollipops to the homeless.
The Making of '...And God Spoke' 1994 A mockumentary about the filming of a low budget film on the Bible.
Man Bites Dog 1992 Belgian black comedy in which a film crew follows a serial killer documenting his crimes.
Man of the Year 1995 A satirical look directed by former Playgirl Man of the Year Dirk Shafer, about his reign as a closeted gay man.
Mascots 2016 Netflix film about the competition for the World Mascot Association's Gold Fluffy Award.
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human 1999 A film that satirizes human relationships, dating, and sex.
Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful 1992 "Behind the scenes" exposé of fictional pop singer Medusa on her "Blonde Leading the Blonde" concert tour.
A Mighty Wind 2003 The story of three folk singer groups who reunite for a tribute concert; one of several mockumentaries by Christopher Guest.
Mike Bassett: England Manager 2001 The fortunes of a lackluster England football manager in the World Cup.
Mister America 2019 Tim Heidecker plays a fictionalized version of himself running for district attorney to unseat the incumbent who tried to imprison him.
Morris: A Life with Bells On 2009 British spoof documentary about morris dancing.
The Mother of Invention 2009 Comedy following a failed inventor competing against his rival for an annual young inventor's award.
Mutant Swinger from Mars 2009 A long-lost 1950s sci-fi film (spoof) that opens with a mockumentary about the film and its director.
Never Been Thawed 2005 About people who collect frozen TV dinners.
The Old Negro Space Program 2004 Short subject in the style of a Ken Burns film depicting the fictional "Negro American Space Society of Astronauts" (NASSA).
The Nona Tapes 1995 Mock short documentary about the band Alice in Chains.
On the Ropes 2011 About a rivalry between a boxing gym and martial arts school.
Once they had been Stars 2020 Mock documentary directed by Malte Wirtz about two wannabe YouTube stars.
Paranormal Entity 2009 About a widowed family that are believed to be haunted by a demon.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 2016 Follows Conner4Real (Andy Samberg), a parody of Justin Bieber in the style of a concert documentary.
Punishment Park 1971 A pseudo-documentary purporting to be news coverage of soldiers escorting a group of anti-establishment citizens across the desert as punishment.
Real Life 1979 Mock documentary directed by Albert Brooks about a year in the life of an average American family, spoofing PBS-style documentaries.
Reboot Camp 2020 A mockumentary by Ivo Raza about a fake self-help group full of Hollywood celebrities that turns into a cult.
Shooting Bokkie 2003 About a South African film crew creating a documentary on a 13-year-old assassin (a bokkie).
Savageland 2015 A horror mockumentary about a mysterious massacre in a small town in Arizona.
Sons of Provo 2004 Musical mockumentary about a Mormon boy-band and its rise to local fame in Utah.
State of Bacon 2013 About all things bacon, including the world's largest festival dedicated to it.
Steamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash Story 2009 Comedy that follows the exploits of Cork hip-hop artist Grandmaster Cash.
Surf's Up 2007 Animated mockumentary that follows the progress of a surfer penguin as he enters a surfing competition.
Sweet and Lowdown 1999 By Woody Allen, includes elements of mockumentary depicting the life of a fictional jazz guitarist from the 1930s.
Take the Money and Run 1969 The second film ever directed by Woody Allen, in which Allen plays an ambitious but clumsy burglar.[1]
Tanner '88 1988 The campaign of fictional former Michigan U.S. representative Jack Tanner in his bid for the Democratic party's 1988 presidential nomination.
Theater Camp 2023 About the staff of a theater camp trying to keep the business afloat when its owner falls into a coma.[2][3]
This Is Spinal Tap 1984 A film crew follows a British hard rock band attempting to revive their popularity;[1] the first of several mockumentaries written by Christopher Guest.
Tour de Pharmacy 2017 An HBO mockumentary that chronicles doping in the professional cycling world.
The Tunnel 2011 A documentary crew encounters a ghoul in the tunnels below Sydney.
Waiting for Guffman 1996 A small Missouri town's celebration of its sesquicentennial; one of several mockumentaries co-starring, and written and directed by Christopher Guest.
We Make Movies 2017 About an egotistical student filmmaker who gathers his friends to help make a movie for their local film festival.
What We Do in the Shadows 2014 Comedy-horror film about a group of vampires sharing a flat in Wellington, New Zealand.
World War III 1998 A German film depicting what might have transpired if Soviet troops had opened fire on demonstrators in Berlin in the fall of 1989.
Zelig 1983 By Woody Allen, about a man who changes his physical appearance in order to fit in.

Specials and one-offs

Specials and one-offs
Name Year Description
Introducing Tony Ferrino: Who and Why?: A Quest 1997 Steve Coogan's parody of cheap promotional videos for his Portuguese singer character; written with Peter Baynham.
Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm 1999 HBO Special about the making of an HBO special.
MyMusic 2012–2014 Web series about a dysfunctional music company.
The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie 2005 Stars two real-life brothers Nat and Alex Wolff and their real-life friends.
Norbert Smith - a Life 1989 A project by Harry Enfield satirising TV arts show biographies, British films, and the British acting fraternity.
Oil Gobblers (Ropáci) 1988 A film by Jan Svěrák about creatures that live in underground mines and feed on oil, plastic, and rubbish.
Platinum Weird 2006 A VH1 mockumentary about a band formed by Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi.

Commercials

Commercials
Name Year Description
ESPN's "This is SportsCenter" 1995–present A series of commercials for SportsCenter presented in a mockumentary style.

Television specials

Television specials
Name Year Description
Alternative 3 1977 TV movie of a political conspiracy to establish a settlement on Mars.
Galaxy Quest: 20th Anniversary, The Journey Continues 1999 A promotional mockumentary presenting the Galaxy Quest television series as a real cult series.[4]
The Great Martian War 1913–1917 2013 TV production depicting an alternate history in which World War I was fought against Martian invaders.
How to Irritate People 1968 A TV broadcast predating Monty Python, written by John Cleese and Graham Chapman.
Morto Troisi, viva Troisi! 1982 A fake report about Massimo Troisi's death, directed by Troisi himself.
Pat Paulsen for President 1968 TV special about the fictional presidential campaign of comedian Pat Paulsen.
Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets 2004 About a fictional crewed voyage through the Solar System, presented in documentary style.
Tout ça (ne nous rendra pas la Belgique) 2006 A hoax news bulletin on a Belgian television network that claimed the Flemish parliament had declared independence.

Individual episodes

Sometimes an episode of an otherwise non-mockumentary series is presented as a mockumentary.

Individual Episodes
Series Episode Title(s) and Year(s) Description
3rd Rock from the Sun "The Loud Solomon Family: a Dickumentary" (2000) An episode presented in an entirely documentary style, taking a look into the lives of the Solomon family.
Babylon 5 "And Now for a Word" (1995), "The Illusion of Truth" (1997), and "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars" (1997) Episodes framed as documentaries by the fictional news network ISN.
Blue Mountain State "One Week" (2011) A documentary crew follows the team on and off the field.
Bones "The Movie in the Making" (2016) Made to look like an episode of a fictional documentary TV show focusing on the work of the FBI and Jeffersonian Institute.
The Comic Strip Presents "Bad News Tour" (1983) and "More Bad News" (1988) Follows an incompetent rock group on tour.
Community "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" (2011) Pierce tells the study group he's dying and asks Abed to film his last wishes.
Entourage "Welcome to the Jungle" (2007) An episode presented as a mock "making of" film about Medellín, the film the characters produce.
ER "Ambush" (1997) A live episode portrayed as a documentary.
Escape the Night "Monsters of Everlock" (2018) Delves into the different monsters that were featured in the show, presented as found footage.
Even Stevens "Band on the Roof" (2001) A "rockumentary"-style episode following the band the Twitty-Steven Connection.
Family Guy "Inside Family Guy" (2016) A "behind-the-scenes"-style episode on the making of the show.
Farscape "A Constellation of Doubt" (2002) Most of the episode consists of a fictional documentary detailing humanity's reaction to Moya's recent visit to Earth.
Grey's Anatomy "These Arms of Mine" (2011) A documentary crew visits the hospital six months after a shooting to document the road to recovery.
House "Ugly" (2007) A camera follows a patient around the hospital as Dr. House treats him.
Just Shoot Me! "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn" (2001) A faux A&E Biography of the character played by Wendie Malick.
Monk "Mr. Monk's 100th Case" (2008) A fictional TV special (mockumentary style) about Monk's 100th case.
Night Court "A Closer Look" (1990) Shows the affairs of the show from a news TV perspective.
Raising Hope "Modern Wedding" (2013) Sabrina's mother hires the film crew of Modern Family to document her wedding.
The Simpsons "Behind the Laughter" (2000) A Behind the Music-style exposé.
Stargate SG-1 "Wormhole X-Treme!" (2001) and "200" (2006) Episodes mocking itself and the sci-fi genre, with a show-within-a-show parody and imagined storylines.[5]
WandaVision "Breaking the Fourth Wall" (2021) An homage to early mockumentary sitcoms like Modern Family and The Office (American TV series).
The West Wing "Access" (2004) A fake behind-the-scenes documentary about a day in the White House.
The X-Files "X-Cops" (2000) An episode made to look like an episode of the actual show COPS.

Other mock films and television

Reality shows

Reality shows
Name Year Description
The Comeback 2005 A reality show following the life of former "it" actress Valerie Cherish.
Double the Fist 2004–2008 A fictional version of Jackass.
Drawn Together 2004–2007 A cartoon version of The Surreal Life.
Late Night with the Devil 2023 A 1970s talk show that invites an allegedly possessed girl onto the program, accidentally unleashing evil.
V/H/S/99: Ozzy's Dungeon 2022 A segment about a dangerous children's TV game show whose host is later kidnapped by the parents of an injured contestant.
Series 7: The Contenders 2001 A film presented as a marathon of a reality show where contestants must hunt and kill each other.
Siberia 2013 A horror series about a fictional reality show where contestants must survive in Tunguska, but things go horribly wrong.

News programs

News programs
Name Year Description
Countdown to Looking Glass 1984 A docu-drama presented as a series of news reports about an escalating conflict that leads to nuclear war.
Ghostwatch 1992 BBC television special in which a fictitious "live" paranormal investigation goes awry.
Local 58 2015–present A web series of a fictional public access television channel that is continuously hijacked with ominous broadcasts.
Not For Broadcast 2022 A full-motion video game where the player runs a national television news program in an increasingly authoritarian dystopia.
Special Bulletin 1983 An NBC made-for-TV movie portraying a live broadcast of a nuclear terrorism incident in Charleston, South Carolina.
V/H/S/94: Storm Drain 2021 A film segment in the form of cable news reports about an urban legend cryptid known as the "Rat Man".
Without Warning 1994 A TV film in the form of a mock newscast covering an apocalyptic alien attack scenario.

Found footage

Main article: Found footage (film technique)

Some films and shows take the form of (fake) raw footage.[6]

Found footage
Name Year Description
Be My Cat: A Film for Anne 2015 A young man in Romania goes to shocking extremes to convince Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway to star in his film.[7]
The Blair Witch Project 1999 Three student filmmakers disappear while hiking to film a documentary about a local legend, the Blair Witch.
Cannibal Holocaust 1980 An anthropologist leads a rescue team into the Amazon rainforest to locate a missing crew of filmmakers.
Chronicle 2012 Three high-school seniors form a bond after gaining telekinetic abilities from an unknown object.
Cloverfield 2008 Follows six young New Yorkers on the night a gigantic monster attacks the city.
Creep (film series) 2014–2017 American psychological horror films about videographers recording eccentric people.
The Devil Inside 2012 Traces the purported exorcism of a possessed woman convicted of a triple murder.
End of Watch 2012 Focuses on the day-to-day work of two Los Angeles Police Department officers.
Gang Tapes 2001 When a carjacking yields a videocamera, a teenage boy decides to document his life and fellow gangbangers.
The Last Exorcism 2010 An evangelical minister participates in a documentary that films his final exorcism.
Paranormal Activity 2007 A young couple are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home.
Project X 2012 Three friends plan to gain popularity by throwing a party, which quickly escalates out of their control.
[•REC] (film series) 2007–2014 Spanish supernatural zombie horror film franchise.
September Tapes 2004 A man hunts down Osama bin Laden.
The Troll Hunter 2010 A team of film students documents the work of a troll hunter with the secret Norwegian Troll Service.
V/H/S (film series) 2012–present American anthology horror films featuring a series of found-footage shorts.
Zero Day 2003 An indie film based on the Columbine High School shooting.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Romanski, Philippe; Sy-Wonyu, Aïssatou (2002). Trompe (-)l'oeil: Imitation & Falsification. Publications de l'Université de Rouen. Vol. 324. University of Le Havre Press. p. 343. ISBN 2-87775-334-4.
  2. ^ "Theater Camp review: an affectionate mockumentary". BFI. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  3. ^ Walsh, Katie (2023-07-15). "Review: A true passion project, 'Theater Camp' is a comedic gem". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  4. ^ "20 Out-of-This-World Facts About Galaxy Quest". Mental Floss. 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  5. ^ Bahar, Narin (2011-09-24). "Best Sci-Fi TV Mockumentaries". gamesradar. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  6. ^ Kang, Inkoo (May 4, 2012). "The Ten Best Mockumentaries". Boxoffice. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  7. ^ "Be My cat: A Film for Anne". IMDb. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
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