A mockumentary (a portmanteau of "mock" and "documentary") is a comedic genre of film and television that imitates the style and conventions of a documentary to tell a fictional or satirical story. By blending humor with a "realistic" presentation, mockumentaries often parody the documentary form itself or use it as a lens to critique societal norms and human behavior.

Key Characteristics
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Characters often look directly at the camera or speak to an unseen film crew through "talking head" interviews.

Authentic Visuals: To maintain a "real" feel, these productions typically use handheld camera work, zooms, and natural lighting.

Improvisation: Scripts are often loose or secondary to character bibles, allowing actors to improvise dialogue to capture spontaneous, realistic interactions.

Deadpan Tone: The humor frequently relies on characters taking absurd situations seriously, delivering ridiculous lines with a straight face.

Minimal Post-Production: Mockumentaries rarely use laugh tracks, instead utilizing ambient noise and awkward silences to heighten the realism.

Origin and Evolution
While the style existed earlier, the term was popularized in the 1980s by Rob Reiner for This Is Spinal Tap. In recent decades, it has become a dominant format for TV sitcoms, sometimes referred to as "comedy vérité".