Documentary Now!

The show’s as sharp as ever in “Soldier of Illusion,” the two-parter that opens Season 4. As pure entertainment, it adroitly combines a high concept with lowbrow humor, including Alexander Skarsgård in a role that might take you back to his orange mocha frappuccino days. And like so many of the best Documentary Now! episodes, it shines because it’s remarkably ambitious. ... Documentary Now! has pretty much perfected that formula [satirizing something both highly specific and kind of obscure can yield incredible results].

Sure, one who has seen My Best Fiend and Burden of Dreams might be able to unlock more of the double-episode season premiere, “Soldier of Illusion.” Anyone who enjoys series like Reboot or The Comeback, however, will still have a laugh at Skarsgård’s character directing episodes of faux sitcom The Bachelor Nanny. ... This season saves the very best for last, though, with a stunning ode to Agnès Varda’s one-of-a-kind filmmaking.

If their latest appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers as the Talking Heads parody band "Test Pattern" is any indication, Season Two isn't purely a high concept exercise in direct imitation, there will also be plenty of LOLs.

Like the best of the season—and the series in general—“Soldier Of Illusion” is rich with detail big and small. ... Another high point of the season is “How They Threw Rocks.” ... The season’s other three episodes are a little more mixed in their execution, and their effectiveness will depend on the viewer’s familiarity with the films that inspired them. ... Even a Documentary Now! episode that doesn’t quite hit on all levels is a feast for the eyes; and at barely 23 minutes each, these episodes are extraordinarily intricate pieces of miniature art.

Not only are the fake documentaries of Documentary Now! hilarious, but doc fans are sure to embrace (while laughing) these studiously crafted pieces from creators Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Seth Myers for their loving attention to detail.

Documentary Now! is made with love and care and will be a delight for Criterion Collection devotees and Hader and Armisen’s fans, but the material may be too rich to appeal to wider audiences, people who’ve never heard of the Demmes and Maysles of the world.

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.