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A good documentary can educate you about subjects you’ve never even considered, and a good comedy can transport you to a world of inside jokes. But what happens when you combine the two? Welcome to the silliest and most in-the-know comedy currently on television, IFC’s Documentary Now!
Created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, the mockumentary series takes some of the greatest documentaries ever released and makes them laugh-out-loud silly. Each episode watches like a long and loving SNL ode to another work of art, with each episode exploring just how weird Armisen and Hader can really be. The series has been a streaming gem since its 2015 premiere, but now that Season 2 has landed on Netflix, viewers can watch 12 ridiculous docs. So which ones are essential to binge and which faux docs can be skipped? Consider this your guide to Documentary Now‘s must-watch moments.
“Sandy Passage”
There are few better documentary parodies than the very first episode of Documentary Now! Armisen and Hader star as mother and daughter in this shot-for-shot remake of one of the craziest documentaries to ever exist, Grey Gardens. Both the original and the parody focus on a pair of reclusive upper-class women bound to their debilitating estate. However, the IFC version of events juggles several tones at once, tackling the sad tone of the original with a general air of ridiculousness. The episode is an undeniably silly take on a documentary that has been adapted and referenced so many times, it’s become shorthand for something confusing, sad, and culturally valuable.
"Juan Likes Rice & Beans"
Hader typically gets the flashier role in this pseudo-documentary series, but this episode completely belongs to Armisen. “Juan Likes Rice & Beans” completely skewers foodie culture all while telling a surprisingly sweet father-son story that almost any food doc fan can relate to. It’s hard to decide what’s funnier in this Jiro Dreams of Sushi parody, the increasingly elaborate ways the episode’s central restaurant prepares its laughably simple food or Armisen’s passion for improv. The delightful half hour remains light-hearted, silly, and inoffensive all while deconstructing insane restaurant culture.
Stream Documentary Now! “Juan Likes Rice & Chicken” on Netflix
“DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon”
Whether you love or hate VICE News, this take on hipster journalism works. The episode follows a growing roster of journalist bros as they attempt to score an interview with Mexico’s most feared drug lord, El Chingon — a parody of El Chapo. However, almost every loud and unsubtle attempt to report on El Chingon results in the deaths of various DRONEZ reporters, forcing the head of the news organization (Jack Black) to send in even more untrained employees. Altogether, it takes six reporter bros and one exasperated actual journalist before Documentary Now! gets its (totally rad) interview with El Chingon. It’s a brilliant take that perfectly embodies the criticisms of VICE News.
Stream Documentary Now! “DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon” on Netflix
“The Bunker”
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that an episode that incorporates one of Hader’s best impressions is also one of Documentary Now!’s strong points. When The War Room originally premiered in 1993, it introduced the world to two quick-talking political advisors who would come to color modern political satire. In the documentary, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos were figures who seemed so far removed from reality, they watched more like cartoon characters than real professionals. That’s what makes Hader and Armisen’s perfectly choreographed take on the pair so funny. From their clothes to Hader’s use of Cajun colloquialisms, this take on The War Room is as well-researched as it is hilariously low stakes. The episode watches as a elongated SNL sketch in the best possible way.
“Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid”
Mr. Runner Up excels at combining the IFC show’s best strengths. The two episodes’ intimate knowledge of Hollywood through the ages and almost shot-by-shot nods to the documentary it parodies, The Kid Stays in the Picture, are hilariously accurate. Add in the general ridiculousness of Hader’s self-involved Jerry Wallach and Arimsen’s constantly misplaced Enzo Entolini, and it’s the perfect documentary parody that can stand with or without the subject it satirizes. In particular, the episode’s intro that claims there’s no way Mr. Runner Up can have any note of truth if Wallach is involved, smartly echoes producer Robert Evans’ heavy involvement in his own documentary. The episode allows for John Mulaney and Bill Hader to dive into the insane depths their comedy thrives in while featuring several impressive celebrity cameos.
