Mockbuster (2026): Finding Creativity at The Asylum

As an avid fan of B-rated horror and all things cheesy, I am familiar with The Asylum, an independent film company and distributor famous for their direct-to-video releases and absurdly over-the-top knock-offs of popular movies. Their shark movie lineup is particularly entertaining to me. For instance, there’s Shark Side of the Moon, and perhaps you’ve heard of Meth Gator—the ridiculous creature feature that came after Universal’s Cocaine Bear. They also produced titles like 3-Headed Shark Attack, as well as 5-Headed Shark Attack and 6-Headed Shark Attack.

If you're familiar with the chaos of The Asylum, you won’t bother asking what happened to 4-Headed Shark Attack.

But the most popular movie from the house of shlock is Sharknado, which has become a cult success over the years and has grown into a franchise of its own.

The first film I saw at the 2026 Chattanooga Film Festival was Mockbuster, a meta-documentary about Australian Anthony Frith’s journey to become a filmmaker. It resembles a mockumentary because Frith filmed and directed it behind the scenes while working on The Land That Time Forgot for The Asylum.

It shows Frith as a first-time dad who feels frozen in time, caught in his life and his enduring dream of becoming a filmmaker. He spends his days creating videos for paying businesses and clients, but his creative passions remain unfulfilled. One day, he reaches out to The Asylum, a company known for some of his favorite guilty-pleasure films, and inquires about directing a movie for them.

Much to his surprise, they respond promptly by email with an unqualified “Yes.” However, there are conditions: it must be filmed within six days of his meeting with The Asylum executives. The script isn’t finished yet, but he has the one-pager and the original The Land That Time Forgot to review (because why wouldn’t this be a remake of a remake?).

There are several talking-head interviews with the higher-ups about the process of making a movie at The Asylum, offering a peek behind the curtain at what goes on behind closed doors. There are prop rooms with severed heads, fake guns, and other appendages to choose from. We get to see how sets are built, interviews with potential actors, and the budgeting process…you name it! But it’s not as glamorous as some people may assume…especially when you’re working within such a tight window and budget. You’re almost as stressed as Firth throughout the process!

Despite all the obstacles, twists, and turns, he manages to make a movie. Throughout, you're rooting for him, and I found the whole film to be genuinely charming. Firth persists even when filmmaking becomes difficult or seems improbable. It’s truly inspiring!

There’s a lot of humor in the first half that has my theater in stitches. It’s shot in an almost The Office manner, with the other people aware they’re being filmed and side-eyeing the camera. The humor dies down a little in the middle, where tensions and stakes are higher, which slightly kills the film’s momentum. But once the dinosaur movie is being made (yes, it is a dinosaur movie), the whimsy and comedic elements peek back in. Seeing people torn up by really bad CGI dinosaurs will do that to you!

It was also a pleasure to see a cameo from fellow Aussie director Danny Philipou, one half of the Philipou brothers, who’ve made horror hits such as Talk to Me and Bring Her Back. I adore these two not only because they make great movies, but also because they are the bubbliest, funniest guys who make the bleakest horror films. Quite an oxymoron! Firth meets with Danny to get advice on how to approach making his film and receives some great encouragement not to give up before you’ve even started. Another learning moment everyone can take away from this documentary!

Overall, my only qualm is that the movie could be trimmed somewhere in the middle… but there is a joke about movies being at most 90 minutes, and this one is exactly 90 minutes. Well played, sir. Well played.

I rate Mockbuster 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this movie, especially the effort that went into making two movies at once. If you’re stuck in a creative rut or interested in filmmaking, check this one out. It’s a charming love letter to the art of filmmaking and to tapping into the creative part of you that might’ve gone dormant.

If Anthony Firth can make a movie in 6 days, you can do anything!

Mockbuster will play in select theaters and be available on digital platforms nationwide starting July 10th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfaKokQbW5A

Now in its 13th year, the Chattanooga Film Festival is a volunteer-run nonprofit that showcases a diverse selection of genre films, curated by passionate cinephiles known for their laid-back, unpretentious approach. If you love the weird, the wild, and inclusive cinema, this festival is a must-see for every movie enthusiast, whether attending in person, virtually, or both!