The Best Mockumentary Films Ranked
The latest: This weekend in theaters, Charli XCX satirizes the music industry in the mockumentary The Moment.
When This is Spinal Tap released in 1984, audiences left the movie theater and walked right into their favorite record stores to catch up on the hit songs of legendary rock band Spinal Tap. There was only one problem: The band didn’t exist. The satirical film was so effective in its presentation that it convinced millions of people they just watched a real life rock star stick a cucumber down his pants.
That’s the magic of a mockumentary: making us believe something fake may actually be real. It’s how What We Do In the Shadows had us wondering if there really were vampires politely taking the bus into town, or how Borat convinced us that there’s a real Kazakhstan reporter wrestling with their naked producer, or how Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul made us believe that megachurch pastors could absolutely have six-pack abs. Well, sort of. But don’t worry, our list of the best mockumentary films is real, and we’re ranking them beginning with Certified Fresh films, followed by Fresh ones, and then the Rotten. Check it out to see where your favorites rank, and if you watch any of them, don’t forget to turn the volume up to 11! — Bryce Marrero
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