Where the fuck do I even start with this classic? I’ve seen it about five times now, and honestly, the first watch didn’t click. I didn’t get the hype. So I gave it another go the very next day and it just… hit different.
Plot Brief
Shot as a mockumentary, the film follows the British rock band Spinal Tap on their absolutely shambolic U.S. tour. We get backstage chaos, failed gigs, band arguments, and interviews that are so ridiculous they almost feel like they must be real.
Thoughts
The cast’s chemistry is fucking brilliant. They bounce off each other so well you could almost believe these guys really existed. Since this dropped in 1984, a lot of the references flew straight over my head growing up in the 2000s — but watching it now, it lands. The satire of the rock scene is timeless, and let’s be honest, egos this big will never go out of style.
The humour is sharp, awkward, and often downright stupid in the best way. Some scenes are painfully uncomfortable, but instead of ruining it, they just make it funnier and more believable. And it doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of the touring lifestyle — it’s not all groupies and glory, sometimes it’s just pure chaos and humiliation.
Could they make this now? Hard to say, but we’ll find out soon enough with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Songs
The songs are a fucking riot, and honestly, they actually make sense. The riffs hit, the hooks stick, and the lyrics are coherent — just brutally graphic. You’re not laughing because it’s nonsense; you’re laughing because it’s so outrageously over-the-top. It’s the kind of thing that makes you do a double-take and then nod along because, yeah, this is technically good music… if you can handle the chaos.
Verdict
Honestly, I don’t have much bad to say about This Is Spinal Tap. It’s clever, it’s funny, and it still slaps nearly 40 years later. Even if you don’t get every reference, the performances alone will crack you up at least once. A cult classic through and through, and easily one of the best mockumentaries ever made.
Rating 6 out of 5 – Past rating was 4, just keeps getting better and louder.
Movie Mumbles 
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