Documentary Now!
IFC | Release Date: August 20, 2015
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 42 Critic Reviews
Positive:
36
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The New York TimesMike HaleSep 13, 2016
Season 2 Review: The results can be a little fuzzy and tepid, as in the “Salesman” parody--the original, a poetic evocation of loneliness and failure, doesn’t lend itself so well to caricature. More successful are broader exercises in which the strategy is to recast the original along baser, more ridiculous lines. Read full review
60
ColliderChris CabinSep 1, 2016
Season 2 Review: Can great art be fun, intelligent, and non-indulgent all at once? Documentary Now makes a solid case that it could very well be a comedy series that fits that bill, but the series’ ambitions remain just a bit too hit-and-miss to fully realize that promise. Read full review
60
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniAug 20, 2015
Season 1 Review: Documentary Now! may not match the genius that possesses Blunt Talk and its stars, but it's still one of the best laughers on cable. Read full review
60
Las Vegas WeeklyJosh BellAug 20, 2015
Season 1 Review: Armisen and Hader star in each episode, alongside guest players like Jack Black and John Slattery, and their spot-on impressions are funny enough that it doesn’t really matter if the jokes are hit-and-miss. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Margaret LyonsAug 20, 2015
Season 1 Review: Each episode parodies a famous documentary, sometimes with exacting precision and sometimes with not-so-exacting precision. Read full review
50
VarietyBrian LowryAug 18, 2015
Season 1 Review: Actually, the series peaks in its opening credits and introduction, which cleverly approximate the fictional public-TV documentary showcase from which the show derives its name.... From there, though, Documentary Now! becomes an exceedingly hit-miss proposition. Read full review
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