Nearly four decades after the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Rob Reiner returns with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, a mockumentary sequel that reunites the original bandmates David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). Reiner once again steps into the role of Marty Di Bergi while directing this long-awaited follow-up.
The story picks up with the washed-up rockers forced into a contractually obligated final show, years after their infamous Druid-themed glam rock disaster. But the central question lingers: are Spinal Tap supposed to be bad, good, or good-bad?
The sequel shows the aging musicians in unlikely new careers. David composes music for murder podcasts and a horror movie called Night of the Assisted Living Dead. Nigel runs a cheese shop in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and Derek curates a glue museum in London while working on a symphony titled “Hell Toupé.” These quirky updates deliver minor chuckles but little reinvention.
As in the original, the film thrives on deadpan humor and absurd cameos. The band auditions drummers ranging from Questlove to Lars Ulrich, eventually settling on Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco). Celebrity appearances abound — Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood all make brief stops, though many feel like fan-service padding rather than essential storytelling.
The laughs remain dry, ironic, and self-referential, in line with Christopher Guest’s signature style (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind). A standout moment comes courtesy of John Michael Higgins as an over-the-top personal trainer hired to whip the aging rockers back into shape.
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Still, the film struggles to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle brilliance of the 1984 classic. While fans may appreciate its uncynical nostalgia, casual viewers may find it flat. IndieWire graded the film a C+, describing it as “a reanimated ghost of I.P. past” rather than a bold new entry in the mockumentary canon.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues opens in theaters on Friday, September 12, distributed by Bleecker Street.
