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

177 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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Phil Kloer

Florida Times-Union

Jan 21

3.5/4

A hilarious spoof of heavy-metal music that has "cult classic" written all over it.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Jan 17

8/10

"Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry," as one reviewer within the film puts it, pretty much sums up the band. The real joke is that they don’t get it.

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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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Joe K.

@joeykdodge Jan 18

I liked it. Had some goofy bits

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Luca D

@JoeCamel7 Jan 3

Not a full fledged comedy. You will chuckle every now and then but it's mostly just subtle satire. The acting is really good though and the music is actually very creative similar to Rocky Horror Picture Show. A sweet and short movie, not overcomplicated or oversaturated.

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Alec B

@Alec97 Dec 29

I love that somebody was willing to make fun of rock documentaries. Because so much of this movie is about failure, Spinal Tap becomes more enduring than many real bands.

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Matt D.

@mature Dec 28

I don’t get it. I guess I just need to be on drugs to watch this…

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Charlie

@KIDCRITIC Dec 26

Watched This is Spinal Tap this year. This a pretty good 80's movie, it is about a guy who is making a documentary on an uprising British that goes through all different eras. The movie has good quality for its time. The storytelling and acting is top tier. Overall I would rate this a 4.0 stars out of 5.0 stars. This movie did feel dark sometimes however it was also very funny. My favorite scene is when Nigel is saying they all go up to 11. However I would not recommend this movie.

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Michael D

@MichaelX Dec 22

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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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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