This Is Spinal Tap

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This Is Spinal Tap

R

1984

1h 22m

Comedy

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

175 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

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Critics Consensus

Smartly directed, brilliantly acted, and packed with endlessly quotable moments, This Is Spinal Tap is an all-time comedy classic.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Sep 15

An instant cult classic, Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap laid the groundwork for the modern improv comedy with its laser-precise skewering of the heyday of ’80s heavy metal and the vagaries of making it as a touring act.

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Richard Jinman

Sydney Morning Herald

Sep 10

The funniest film about rock ever made.

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Joe Williams

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sep 9

Reiner's directorial debut remains his best and most inventive film, a note-perfect parody of show-biz self-importance and pre-MTV production values.

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Steven Mazey

Ottawa Citizen

Sep 10

4/5

In their shag haircuts and tight spandex pants, the actors are sublimely funny. The details are exactly right.

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Ed Masley

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sep 10

From the cameos to Spinal Tap itself, the casting is brilliant.

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Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

Sep 9

What we have here is that rarest of birds, the sustained and nearly pitch-perfect parody.

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Michael D

@MichaelX 2d

What can I possibly add to the conversation about "This Is Spinal Tap"? We returned to it because of the recent Rob Reiner tragedy, and I realized I hadn’t seen it in four decades. Watching it now is a bracing reminder of just how seismic it was: laying the groundwork for an entire mockumentary tradition while casually introducing the world to Reiner’s singular comic intelligence, both in front of and behind the camera. There’s something oddly comforting about revisiting a film that understands vanity, stupidity, and unchecked ego so precisely, especially during a moment when reality seems determined to parody itself at ever-increasing volume. The amplifiers, as it were, remain stuck on eleven. I’m still processing our collective losses, cultural and otherwise, and certain bits of macabre kismet feel almost too on the nose. We’re queuing up "The Princess Bride" and "A Few Good Men" next, as a small act of remembrance…and resistance.

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Keith B B

@Okbullard 2d

It was pretty good but I'd never want to watch it again.

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Ross W.

@kingvern Dec 17

The best. One of the greatest and most pioneering comedies of all time.

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Bianca R.

@Bianca828 Dec 17

Truly the pinnacle of rock/mockumetaries.

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Brian C

Dec 17

Thee best rock movie in history. Nothing even close.

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Stephen M

Dec 15

How terribly sad it is to be posting a review of this wonderful film on the day after its director, Rob Reiner, lost his life in horrifying circumstances. While "When Harry Met Sally" will inevitably get the headlines, it pales into relative insignificance when set against this classic film which never sought, nor needed, an instant predictable joke to keep the momentum going. (A beautiful piano bridge being called "Lick My Love Pump" comes to mind!) There are truly no weak performances amongst the cast, while Reiner himself comes up with an understated tour de force as the "straight man" who somehow keeps a straight face while documenting the decline and other planet existence of the group, its manager and typical dolly bird. As a metaphor for the excesses of the 70-80s' rock world, this great film cannot be surpassed. Best of all, it never has to try too hard to do so. Spinal Tap is as fresh now as it was in 1984.

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Rob Reiner

Director

Rob Reiner

Marty DiBergi

Michael McKean

David St. Hubbins (Lead Guitar, Vocals)

Christopher Guest

Nigel Tufnel (Lead Guitar, vocals)

Harry Shearer

Derek Smalls (Bass, vocals)

R.J. Parnell

Mick Shrimpton (Drummer)

This is Spinal Tap 41st Anniversary: Exclusive Movie Clip - This Goes to 11

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This Is Spinal Tap: Trailer 1

1:26

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Synopsis

"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

Director: Rob Reiner
Producer: Karen Murphy
Screenwriter: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer
Distributor: MGM
Production Co: Spinal Tap Prod.
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 1984, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 5, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 3, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $188.8K
Runtime: 1h 22m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Dolby Stereo, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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