Mockbuster

James Nguyen makes movies for twenty thousand dollars over a weekend — and it's no joke. His studio, The Asylum, has been producing cheap knock-offs of Hollywood blockbusters for decades, from Transformers to Pirates of the Caribbean. This 2025 documentary explores the phenomenon of 'mockbusters' — films created specifically to trick viewers on the video rental shelf. Director Jacob Stevens reveals the inner workings of this slapdash dream factory, where speed trumps quality and marketing cunning replaces artistic merit. The film raises questions about authorship, consumer habits, and the boundaries of legality in the entertainment industry.