Mascots

Mascots follows competitors in the world of professional sports mascots as they prepare for an annual championship that decides which of them is the best in the world. The contest, staged by the fictional World Mascot Association, draws performers who spend their working lives inside oversized heads and furry costumes, cheering on real teams in front of crowds. Away from the arena, the film looks at the people behind the suits and at the rivalries, grudges and private troubles that travel with them to the event.

Christopher Guest directed and wrote the screenplay with Jim Piddock, and the film is his sixth feature, arriving after A Mighty Wind. It is built around an ensemble that includes Carrie Aizley, Sarah Baker, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Bennett and Maria Blasucci, with 43 credited cast members in all. The production had a budget of 20 million US dollars.

Mascots was released on 10 September 2016 and runs 94 minutes. It is a comedy from the United States, made by Ra Ra Productions. Reception sits in mixed territory: on IMDb it holds 5.8/10 from around 8,600 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.4/10 from roughly 207 votes. The film critics' rating of 5.7/10 from 48 reviews places it close to the audience scores rather than above them, suggesting the two groups broadly agree.