The films that break the fourth wall and tickle our funny bone. 14 funny mockumentaries to remind us about the absurdity of life

The films that break the fourth wall and tickle our funny bone.

14 funny mockumentaries to remind us about the absurdity of life

The films that break the fourth wall and tickle our funny bone.

By Kevin Jacobsen,

Rachel Yang is a former digital news writer at **. She left EW in 2021.

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Maureen Lee Lenker,

Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at ** with over nine years of experience. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, *Ms. Magazine*, *The Hollywood Reporter*, and more.

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Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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Devan Coggan (rhymes with seven slogan) is a senior writer at . Most of her personality is just John Mulaney quotes and Lord of the Rings references.

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Tyler Aquilina,

Tyler Aquilina is a former digital writer at **. He left EW in 2022.

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Derek Lawrence,

I currently write about Fast & Furious, The Office, and Will Smith. One day, I will write Hitch 2.

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Rebecca Detken,

Rebecca Detken

Rebecca Detken is the editorial director of news and operations for **. She's been with EW since 2018 and has over 25 years of experience working in entertainment journalism.

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Mary Sollosi is the former assistant features editor at **. She left EW in 2022.

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and Christian Holub

Christian Holub

Christian Holub is a writer covering comics and other geeky pop culture. He's still mad about 'Firefly' getting canceled.

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on September 19, 2025 7:05 a.m. ET

Andy Samberg as Conner Friel/Conner4Real in 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'; Molly Gordon as Rebecca-Diane and Ben Platt as Amos Klobuchar in 'Theater Camp'; Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat Sagdiyev in 'Borat'. Credit:

Universal Pictures; Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures; 20th Century Fox

Truth can sometimes be stranger (and funnier) than fiction. This is why documentaries make for such compelling watches in their observation of human behavior, and why some filmmakers take advantage of the format with fourth-wall-breaking "mockumentaries."

While TV has plenty of mockumentary-style programs like *The Office* and *Abbott Elementary*, numerous films utilize the format just as well. From music spoofs like *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* (2016) to reality-blurring fare such as *Borat* (2006) to the cinema of Christopher Guest (*Best in Show* celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sept. 19), these satires and send-ups are often funnier because they ring so true compared to more traditional comedies.

Here are our picks for the funniest and most creative mockumentaries.**

Best in Show (2000)

Eugene Levy as Gerry Fleck and Catherine O'Hara as Cookie Fleck in 'Best in Show'. Everett Collection

Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara were comedy gold on the Emmy-winning series *Schitt's Creek*, but *Best in Show* was many viewers' first introduction to the dynamic duo, who also played a married couple in the mockumentary. Levy and O'Hara are pitch-perfect as Gerry and Cookie Fleck, a middle-class couple who enter their dog, Winky, into the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show.

Their awkward interviews, laughably bad songs about terriers, and flare-ups over Cookie's "hundreds" of ex-flames are almost too comical to believe, yet Levy (who co-wrote the movie with director Christopher Guest) and O'Hara's winning performances ground the movie in reality. And with Guest, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, and Fred Willard rounding out the cast, *Best in Show* created a world — filled with adorable dogs and the endearing oddballs who obsess over them — that we want to visit again and again. *—Rachel Yang*

Bob Roberts (1992)

Tim Robbins as Bob Roberts in 'Bob Roberts'.

Paramount/Everett Collection

Tim Robbins made *Bob Roberts* in 1992, but it feels strikingly — perhaps disturbingly — *now*. Robbins wrote, directed, and starred in the film about a conservative folk singer, Bob Roberts, whose maverick campaign for Senate is documented by a British filmmaker. As Bob rails against liberalism and props up "traditional" family values, a series of scandals arise that could threaten to upend his campaign.

Robbins has fun riffing on notable documentaries like the Bob Dylan film *Dont Look Back *and even *This Is Spinal Tap*, presenting a very accurate satire of the blatant hypocrisy and cult of personality in U.S. politics. While the film had a modest box office at the time, its prophetic themes have made it last all these years later. As Robbins told EW in 2017, "The real test of a film is whether it can still play in 25 years. Does it still speak to the audience?" —*Kevin Jacobsen***

Borat (2006)

Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat Sagdiyev in 'Borat'. Twentieth Century Fox

The original *Borat*, which bears the full title: *Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan*, stars Sacha Baron Cohen as the titular fictitious Kazakh journalist. Much of the film is comprised of unscripted vignettes, with Cohen's Borat interacting with Americans who truly believe he is a foreigner completely unaware of American customs.

The film spawned a host of copycats, but that's not surprising given its incredible success, including an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's not for the faint of heart, with Borat's iconic green thong and naked wrestling just two of its provocative centerpieces. But we'll always remember it as the movie that gave creeper bros the catchphrase "Very niiiiiice." *—Maureen Lee Lenker*

Brüno (2009)

Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno Gehard in 'Brüno'. Mark Schwartzbard

Sacha Baron Cohen followed up the success of *Borat* with *Brüno*, a 2009 mockumentary about a gay Austrian fashion journalist who travels to America in hopes of launching a celebrity interview show. In his pursuit of stardom, many outrageous hijinks occur — including memorably being told to "F--- off" by Harrison Ford — and, like with *Borat*, all the boundaries are not just pushed, but completely obliterated. But all the hilarity has a point, too.

"The entire film is in seriously questionable taste, and there will, of course, be debates about what's staged and what's not," EW's critic writes. "Those looking for purity in satire should stay away. Yet there's a vision at work in *Brüno* — the movie is a toxic dart aimed at the spangly new heart of American hypocrisy: our fake-tolerant, fake-charitable, fake-liberated-yet-still-madly-closeted fame culture." Come for the laughs, stay for the pointed satire. *—Lauren Huff*

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

(From left to right): Amy Adams as Leslie Miller, Brittany Murphy as Lisa Swenson, Denise Richards as Rebecca Ann 'Becky' Leeman, and Kirsten Dunst as Amber Atkins in 'Drop Dead Gorgeous'. Everett Collection

An initial flop both with critics and at the box office, *Drop Dead Gorgeous* has since rightfully claimed its crown as a campy cult classic. This 1999 pitch-black satire centers on the tiny town of Mount Rose, Minn., as it prepares for the Sarah Rose Cosmetics American Teen Princess Pageant, with a star-studded cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Kirstie Alley, Brittany Murphy, and Amy Adams.

Directed by Michael Patrick Jann, this mockumentary is an outlandish mashup of sugary Midwestern femininity and homicidal rage, where nothing — *nothing *— is more important than winning. After all, Jesus loves winners. *—Devan Coggan*

Fear of a Black Hat (1994)

Mark Christopher Lawrence as Tone Def, Rusty Cundieff as Ice Cold, and Larry B. Scott as Tasty Taste in 'Fear of a Black Hat'. Samuel Goldwyn Films/Everett Collection

Before finding fame with projects like *Tales From the Hood* and *Chappelle's Show*, writer and director Rusty Cundieff impressed Sundance audiences in 1993 with a hilarious and unflinching look at hip-hop culture in his low-budget mockumentary, *Fear of the Black Hat*. Inspired by *This Is Spinal Tap*, Cundieff makes quick work of lambasting the casual misogyny and homophobia ingrained in hardcore rap, but also of the media scolds unable to parse the message of the music.

The jokes come fast and funny — think Mel Brooks or the Zucker Brothers with half the humor happening in the background (look for the gathering of the Ices); and unlike so many older comedies that fail to impress modern audiences, aside from the beepers, *Fear of the Black Hat*'s depiction of the police during a traffic stop feels just as current as it did when it was an early-'90s comment on Rodney King. *—Sarah Sprague*

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

(Center): John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney in 'A Hard Day's Night'.

Brian Randle/Mirrorpix/Getty

At the height of Beatlemania, the Fab Four made this irreverent, cinéma vérité musical comedy depicting a few days in the life of the biggest band in the world. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr play versions of themselves as they try to evade the pandemonium of their adoring fans and find moments of spontaneity amid their regimented schedule.

*A Hard Day's Night* is a treasured classic among Beatles fans and movie lovers alike for how it blends reality and fiction. The mockumentary-like style gives it an authentic feel, providing a snapshot of changing attitudes in the '60s. But it's also just a fun hangout movie, and some of the best moments feature the musicians bantering with reporters or wearing disguises to avoid detection. —*K.J.*

'Spinal Tap II' can thank 'Stranger Things' and Kate Bush for convincing Rob Reiner to break his 'no sequels' rule

Seth Meyers reveals Lonely Island song that made him vomit from laughing so hard

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Harry Shearer as Mark Shubb, Michael McKean as Jerry Palter, and Christopher Guest as Alan Barrows in 'A Mighty Wind'. Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

*This Is Spinal Tap* star Christopher Guest made the mockumentary sing once again with *A Mighty Wind*, which follows three folk music groups (including Guest and his *Spinal Tap* costars Harry Shearer and Michael McKean as the Folksmen) as they reunite for a televised concert.

Though more genial and low-key than *Spinal Tap* (no exploding drummers herein), *A Mighty Wind* one-ups it musically with genuinely good folk tunes, particularly the jubilant title track and the Oscar-nominated "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," performed by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara. But the true highlight might be the late great Fred Willard, whose performance as a catchphrase-spouting manager will leave you wondering why this movie doesn't get more love. Or, in his parlance: "Hey, wha' happened?" —*Tyler Aquilina*

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Andy Samberg as Conner Friel/Conner4Real (center) in 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'. Universal Pictures

Conner4Real's (Andy Samberg) sophomore album, *Connquest*, might have earned a single poop emoji from *Rolling Stone*, but *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* deserves five fire emojis. The 2016 comedy from the Lonely Island crew is told in the form of a musical documentary about the breakup of the Style Boyz and the solo career of frontman Conner4Real. Loaded with cameos from artists like Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, and Michael Bolton, the true highlights come via the musical stylings of Conner and his crew, with catchy bangers like "Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song)" and the anti-humble anthem "I'm So Humble."

Initially a box office disappointment, the legend of *Popstar* has only grown since its release. "I think seeing it on a lot of 'best of the decade' lists, and people doing sing-alongs at the Drafthouse screenings, and them wanting to do that special-edition DVD, we were just thinking, 'Hey, this is really nice, people are talking about *Popstar* again,'" Samberg told EW in 2020. "It would be even nicer if one time we put out a movie that did well in the theater when it came out. [*Laughs*] But we'll definitely take it." *—Derek Lawrence*

Real Life (1979)

Albert Brooks as a fictionalized version of himself and Frances Lee McCain as Jeannette Yeager in 'Real Life'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

In 1973, one of the first true reality shows hit the airwaves. It was called *An American Family* and it explored the lives of an average upper-middle-class family, becoming a lightning rod for public discourse. Six years later, Albert Brooks co-wrote, directed, and starred in this clever sendup in which he plays an overeager producer filming a family for a similar type of show and struggling to wring drama out of their lives.

As the family struggles to adjust to their new reality, they start to unravel, while Brooks' character resorts to manipulation and desperate schemes to produce compelling drama. Decades ahead of the reality TV craze, *Real Life* is scarily prescient in its depiction of lives ruined by the presence of cameras, while also operating as a hilarious observational comedy about a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown. —*K.J.***

Theater Camp (2023)

Molly Gordon as Rebecca-Diane and Ben Platt as Amos Klobuchar in 'Theater Camp'.

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

This enthusiastic ode to the hyper-specific highs and lows of theater comes from a place of true love. Written by Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, and Nick Lieberman, the mockumentary follows an underfunded theater camp as they attempt to put on a production of a musical in honor of their recently injured director.

Everything that can go wrong does go wrong as staffers Amos (Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Gordon) struggle to work with the bro-y new director and raise funds to keep the camp from foreclosure. Any theater kid (or theater adult) watching will feel seen with references such as "straight plays vs. musicals," the rush to see the posted cast list, or the sheer concept of a "Meryl Day." —*K.J.*

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls, Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins, and Rob Reiner as Martin 'Marty' Di Bergi in 'This Is Spinal Tap'. Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection

No list of the funniest mockumentaries would be complete without *This Is Spinal Tap*, a film that turned the genre all the way up "to 11." Directed by Rob Reiner, the mock rock doc follows an aging British heavy metal band called Spinal Tap (played by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer) while they are on a disappointing U.S. concert tour. Taking aim at the ridiculousness of rock & roll excess and the music industry in general, the film has no shortage of hilarious scenes and quotable lines — from the mini Stonehenge fiasco to getting lost backstage before a show ("Hello, Cleveland!").

Though it wasn't a huge hit when it was first released in 1984 (Reiner told *Newsweek* in 2009 he believes that may have been due to the fact everyone thought the film was a documentary about a real band that no one had ever heard of), *This Is Spinal Tap* has since achieved cult classic status and is considered by many to be the movie that put mockumentaries on the map. Its sequel, *Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,* premiered on Sept. 12. *—Rebecca Detken*

Waiting for Guffman (1996)

(From left to right): Fred Willard as Ron Albertson, Catherine O'Hara as Sheila Albertson, Christopher Guest as Corky St. Clair, Parker Posey as Libby Mae Brown, and Eugene Levy as Dr. Allan Pearl in 'Waiting for Guffman'. Sony Pictures Classics/Courtesy Everett Collection

Director and co-writer Christopher Guest's 1996 mockumentary *Waiting for Guffman* takes him to the fictional Blaine, Mo., (stool capital of the United States!), where he becomes Corky St. Clair, a creative visionary (depending on who you ask) leading a ragtag group of humble Blaineians to theatrical glory with the debut production of his groundbreaking musical, *Red, White, and Blaine*.

And as if the hallowed occasion of the town's sesquicentennial weren't enough pressure on the amateur thespians, the stakes shoot through the roof when Corky promises that a Broadway producer — the eagerly awaited Mort Guffman — will be in the audience, wielding the power to potentially launch the dedicated ensemble to stardom. Nothing ever happens on Mars, but you certainly can't say the same of Blaine. *—Mary Sollosi*

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Taika Waititi as Viago (back, left), Jemaine Clement as Vladislav the Poker (front, center), and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer as Nick (back, center) in 'What We Do in the Shadows'.

The Orchard/Courtesy Everett Collection

It might be better known as a TV series (2019–2024), but *What We Do in the Shadows* would not have run for multiple seasons on FX if the original 2014 film wasn't such a perfect mockumentary. Co-directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, *What We Do in the Shadows *combines their deadpan New Zealand humor with some genuinely exciting horror filmmaking.

Clement and Waititi appear in front of the camera as well as two of the vampires sharing a Wellington flat and doing their best to lure unsuspecting victims to drink their blood without drawing too much attention from the modern world. Vampires are a well-worn horror subgenre, but depicting them as a bunch of squabbling roommates proved the perfect method to freshen up the storytelling. *—Christian Holub*

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