Mockumentaries are always a joy to match, no matter what genre they are in. From The Office To What We Do In The Shadows to The Blair Witch Project, they always have your attention.
1. The Office
Starring Steve Carell (the actor who plays me (Michael Scott), The Office showcases the daily routine of employees at their workplace with a pinch of humour. The sitcom consisting nine seasons was shot in a mockumentary style where employees including me, the manager, speak one-on-one with the camera.
It is available on Netflix.
2. Modern Family
Modern Family is another American mockumentary sitcom series that we have on the list. The mockumentary, which ran for 11 seasons, featured actors like Ed O’Neill and Sofía Vergara. It dealt with three diverse families and their modern values, whose members would frequently make confessions to the camera in interview segments.
It is available on Disney+Hotstar.
3. Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Filmed on a handycam, security cameras, and spy cameras, Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha is a mockumentary of sorts. Starring Rajkummar Rao, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Anshuman Jha, the found-footage drama showcased three stories from the eyes of cameras. The anthology was based on honour killing, MMS scandal, and sting operations respectively.
It is available on Netflix.
4. AK vs AK
Vikramaditya Motwane’s AK vs AK features Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor playing fictionalised versions of themselves in the film. Shot in a meta, mockumentary format, AK vs AK takes you to the journey of a feud between a director and an aging actor and how the former kidnaps his daughter, actress Sonam Kapoor. Their story was presented from the camera’s perspective of Anurag’s assistant.
It is available on Netflix.
5. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an American musical drama television series, which also comes in the mockumentary category. Based on High School Musical films, the series was set in a fictionalised version of East High School where teenager students participate in its musical production. It also explored their relationships outside the school.
It is available on Disney+Hotstar.
6. Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is a seven-season political satire mockumentary sitcom starring veteran comedian Amy Poehler. The sitcom featured Poehler as the deputy director of Parks and Recreation Department overseeing several employees. Like The Office, characters in this sitcom were also filmed by a documentary crew where they would engage in one-on-one interviews with the camera.
It is available on Amazon Prime Video.
7. Abbott Elementary
Abott Elementary, the workplace sitcom showcasing the lives of passionate teachers in a mismanaged public school of Philadelphia, also followed the footsteps of The Office and Parks and Recreation. It begins with a principal inviting one camera crew to show how the school is like. The sitcom features characters giving interviews to the camera along with playful zoom-in and panning shots to record their reactions.
It is available on Disney+Hotstar.
8. What We Do In The Shadows
Based on the New Zealand film of the same name, What We Do In The Shadows, the American comedy horror TV series, also utilises the mockumentary format. It follows a story of four vampires living as roommates on Staten Island, where the crew is shooting their documentary. The series also lets the crew participate in the vampire world as they get frequently attacked while recording the video.
It is available on Disney+Hotstar.
9. 2gether: The Original Movie
2gether: The Original Movie is a mockumentary styled-comedy film that spoofs boy bands like Backstreet Boys, N Sync, and New Kids On The Block. It featured comedian Alan Blumenfeld as music manager exploring his journey of creating a popular male band as he travels. Don’t confuse it with the 2020 Thai TV series of the same name.
It is available on YouTube.
10. Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys, the Canadian sitcom, is a mockumentary which had begun airing after the release of the 1999 film of the same name. It featured actors Robb Wells, Mike Smith, and John Paul Tremblay as Ricky, Bubbles, and Julian respectively as the residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park. The episodes showcased the trio often indulging in petty crimes in order to earn money.
It is available on Netflix.
11. Blair Witch Project
Blair Witch Project is the supernatural horror film which also comes in mockumentary category. It followed a fictional story of three filmmaking students who hike on Black Hills to shoot a documentary about the Blair Witch. However, all of them disappear. The recovered footage is what the audience watches.
It is available on Amazon Prime Video.
12. Paranormal Activity
Another supernatural horror movie that was recorded in mockumentary format is Paranormal Activity. It follows the story of a young couple who discover that their house is haunted. The film utilises a found-footage narrative in which the couple sets up a camera to document paranormal activities.
It is available on Amazon Prime Video.
13. David Brent: Life on the Road
Veteran comedian Ricky Gervais-starrer David Brent: Life on the Road is a British mockumentary comedy film. In the movie, David Brent played his own character from The Office, however, it explored his personal life more than the show.
It is available on Netflix.
So, what are you waiting for? Catch these mockumentaries this weekend.
