Sex, drugs and amoebic dysentery: the 20 best making-of documentaries – ranked!
The article ranks 20 documentaries about how films were made, highlighting productions shaped by ambition, mishaps and unusual working conditions. Together, they show how the stories behind films can be as revealing as the finished works, including projects that were abandoned, troubled or nearly lost.
The examples include footage of George A Romero making *Dawn of the Dead*, a documentary about Tim Burton’s unrealised *Superman Lives*, and the story of Orson Welles’s long-delayed *The Other Side of the Wind*. Other entries cover John Boorman’s difficult experience making *Exorcist II: The Heretic*, a rushed low-budget *Fantastic Four* film, and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unrealised adaptation of *Dune*.
- A ranking explores 20 documentaries about film productions.
- The stories range from unrealised projects to troubled shoots.
- Behind-the-scenes footage reveals how films came together.
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Making-of documentaries are films that explore how other films were made, examining the creative decisions, challenges and key figures involved in production. They appeal to audiences because they reveal stories that can be as compelling as the finished films themselves.
This article ranks twenty documentaries that exemplify the form, focusing on productions characterised by significant ambition, mishaps or unusual working conditions. The list covers famous films such as George A Romero's *Dawn of the Dead*, as well as abandoned or troubled productions, from Orson Welles's long-delayed *The Other Side of the Wind* to unrealised science fiction adaptations.
Such documentaries reveal that filmmaking rarely proceeds according to plan and that understanding a film's production history can enhance appreciation of the finished work. They preserve accounts of ambitious creative visions—whether ultimately successful or abandoned—that might otherwise be forgotten.