Summary
A knowingly nostalgic encore that hits some big laughs but leans heavily on goodwill.
It’s a verifiable fact that This Is Spinal Tap is not a mockumentary, as it’s so cruelly labelled, but an essential documentary snapshot of a moment in rock history. That Martin “Marty” Di Bergi hasn’t made another film since does nothing to diminish the importance of his landmark exploration of the sights, the sounds, and the smells of a hard-working rock band on the road.
Just over four decades later, we catch up with a very different Tap. Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) now runs a small cheese-and-guitar shop. David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) composes music for podcasts and hold messages. Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) has finished his magnum opus Hell Toupee while curating a modest glue museum. When Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood release a viral cover of one of their songs, the label gets the estranged band back together for a stadium reunion — if they can hold it together long enough.
SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES is an odd mix of nostalgia and the comedy of aging. Reiner and the cast all but ignore the direct-to-home 1992 sequel The Return of Spinal Tap , though they cheekily nod to it with concert footage. For every callback that helps sustain the “documentary” feel, there’s the nagging reminder that this is an attempt to recapture a past that may only exist in memory.
Still, the sequel can be very funny. Whether it’s the drumming community’s continued reluctance to engage with the band or the passive-aggressive moment when Sir Paul McCartney (playing himself) offers unwanted songwriting advice, the gags land. Valerie Franco, as the curse-defying drummer, is a breath of fresh air. The finale, which I won’t spoil, had us laugh-snorting all the way through the credits.
Much of the film, though, floats along on goodwill. Some cameos are literally phoned in: a parade of drummers including Questlove, Chad Smith, and Lars Ulrich appear via Zoom. There’s humour in watching these 80s icons fumble with modern tech, but the film often feels like a reunion special born in lockdown. The rapid-fire credits gags, for instance, are sharper than anything in the final act.
2025 | USA | DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner | WRITERS: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner | CAST: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Valerie Franco | DISTRIBUTOR: Bleecker Street (USA), Sony Pictures Releasing (International) | RUNNING TIME: 84 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 12 September 2025 (USA), 25 September 2025 (Australia),