Mockbuster (2025) Review
Mockbuster (2025) Review
Welcome to The Asylum and meet once-promising Australian filmmaker Anthony Frith who, having fallen into the mundane world of directing corporate video, decides it’s time to pursue his true ambition… making movies. See what happens in the brand-new hilariously eye-opening and entertaining new feature documentary Mockbuster.
The budding director’s dream collides with chaos and compromise, when he lands a surprise job and is pulled headlong into the weird and wonderful world of The Asylum – the notorious production house who introduced the world to the likes of Sharknado, King of the Ants, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus and Titanic II.
Tasked by Hollywood’s B-movie kings with directing a lost-world dinosaur film in suburban Adelaide, on a six-day shoot and shoestring budget, he takes the bull by the horns. But he also decides to turn the camera on himself, filming a behind-the-scenes documentary as the chaos unfolds. Between demanding LA execs, a bewildered cast and his own creeping self-doubt, both productions push their first-time director to the brink.
For those unfamiliar with The Asylum’s output—and there is little reason to seek it out—they have built a business on producing low-budget “mockbusters” that trade on the success of major studio releases. It’s a strategy reminiscent of the Italian exploitation cinema of the 1970s and ’80s, with films such as Cruel Jaws or Zombi 2 shamelessly cashing in on the popularity of Jaws and George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. The Asylum employs much the same tactic, releasing films with titles and poster artwork deliberately designed to evoke better-known productions, often mimicking their typography and visual style. The result is a catalogue of films intended to catch the eye of the less discerning viewer, who may mistake them for the genuine article.
Unfortunately, the deception rarely extends beyond the packaging. I have yet to see a single Asylum production that genuinely works. Their films are not even “so bad they’re good”; they are simply bad. Even the Sharknado series, despite its cult reputation, is more of an endurance test than an entertaining slice of schlock. It is therefore surprising to discover that South Australian filmmaker Anthony Frith secured the opportunity to direct for The Asylum simply by emailing the company and asking for the job.
Despite my complete lack of affection for The Asylum’s films, watching Frith navigate the near-impossible task of making one is utterly fascinating. Armed with little more than a single-page synopsis, virtually no budget, and just six days to shoot, he faces an endless stream of obstacles. Cast members have meltdowns, production problems mount, and constant interference from studio executives—whose last-minute decisions often seem to create more problems than they solve—threatens to derail the entire production.
I have no idea whether Frith’s version of The Land That Time Forgot is any good, although I suspect I can make an educated guess. His documentary, however, is another matter entirely. Mockbuster is an absolute delight. Frith proves to be an engaging and refreshingly candid guide, speaking openly about the frustrations, compromises, and occasional triumphs of low-budget filmmaking. His honesty and self-awareness make him immensely likeable, while his narration is so articulate and personable that you feel as though you are standing beside him on set, experiencing every setback firsthand.
Beautifully assembled and consistently engaging, Mockbuster captures both the absurdity and the harsh reality of working within The Asylum’s production machine. It is as much a portrait of creative perseverance as it is an exposé of the mockbuster business model. If Frith’s The Land That Time Forgot fails to launch his directing career, then Mockbuster should have no such problem. It is a smart, funny, and unexpectedly compelling documentary that deserves to be seen by anyone with an interest in the realities of independent filmmaking.
Trailer
On digital 27 July 2026 from Miracle Media
