There are parody bands, there are joke acts, and then there’s Spinal Tap. What started as a mockumentary about washed-up British rockers four decades ago has long since transformed into something bigger, stranger, and far more enduring. Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls aren’t just characters anymore. They’re actual rock legends with albums, tours, fans, and now a long-awaited sequel. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues finds the band older, scattered, and fractured, but still louder than anyone could’ve imagined back in 1984.
The film wastes no time catching us up on the ridiculous but oddly believable lives of its stars. Nigel (Christopher Guest) now runs a cheese and guitar shop with a unique bartering system. David (Michael McKean) composes moody soundscapes for true crime podcasts. Derek (Harry Shearer) operates a glue museum that showcases adhesives from around the globe. Jeanine (June Chadwick) has left David and joined a convent. It’s all patently absurd, but it’s delivered with the same bone-dry sincerity that made the original This Is Spinal Tap legendary.
The premise this time around is simple: after fifteen years apart, the band is convinced (by contractual obligation) to reunite for a show in New Orleans. That loose framework gives the film more forward motion than the first, but this is still predominately a laid-back hangout movie built on riffs, tangents, and gags. Every Spinal Tap fan knows the danger of becoming their drummer, so the auditions are as funny as you’d hope. There are some sustained cameos from rock icons, and eventually Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco) joins as the latest brave soul behind the kit. New promoter Simon Howler (Chris Addison) adds his own brand of corporate chaos, claiming to suffer from “St. Cecilia’s Curse,” a condition that makes him literally unable to comprehend music. One of his bright ideas is to partner with chair-lift companies to help Spinal Tap market to their aging fanbase. It’s dumb, it’s cutting, and it lands right in the middle of rock ’n’ roll’s eternal dance with commercialization.
Meanwhile, director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is back behind the camera, noticeably livelier than he was decades ago. The band takes note, slyly reminding us that time changes everyone - even the documentarian, although Marty’s reverence and affection towards his film’s subjects is just as obvious as ever. Reiner's penchant for capturing a real, naturalistic style is still strong, and his onscreen persona is more than capable of holding his own against the band themselves.
What makes The End Continues sing is the same thing that made the first film iconic: the improvisation. Roughly 99% of the dialogue is improvised, and Guest, McKean, Shearer, and Reiner slip into these roles with the kind of ease you only get from living inside them for forty plus years. Their back-and-forths feel as sharp and spontaneous as ever, a masterclass in comedic timing disguised as casual conversation.
But here’s the thing: it isn’t just comedy. Spinal Tap are legitimately great musicians, and the movie never forgets that. The silly lyrics and stage antics may draw the laughs, but the actual playing has always been tight enough to hold up against any number of bands. That’s why Spinal Tap isn’t just a punchline - they’re a functioning part of rock history. The sequel doubles down on that, reminding us that this “fake” band has put in more real work than plenty of their peers.
There’s an unexpected emotional core here as well, especially in the strained friendship between David and Nigel. Time apart has left scars, and while the jokes never stop, the movie quietly builds toward a reminder of why these two need each other. It’s subtle, but it gives the silliness some genuine heart. Even in a movie about glue museums and farting stage props, there’s space for reflection on age, connection, and why bands - real or imagined - stick together.
Not every gag lands. A Stormi Daniels joke is as overly stale as you’d expect, the rare moment where the film reaches for cheap topicality instead of timeless absurdity. But for every dud, there’s a gem that feels instantly quotable. “In the daytime, ghosts are just rumors” David muses at one point, a line that perfectly lies between nonsense and genuine wisdom. The balance of breezy dry humor, surreal non-sequiturs, and stone-faced delivery remains intact.
The mere existence of this sequel feels like a triumph. The music holds up, the characters remain hilariously believable, and the spirit of Spinal Tap continues to resonate in a rock world that’s aged right alongside them. At this point, who’s to say they’re not real? They tour, they record, they inspire fans. That’s a band.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues doesn’t reinvent the mockumentary, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a breezy, hilarious, and legitimately rocking return to one of music’s most enduring punchlines turned legends. Spinal Tap was never supposed to last, and yet here we are. They’ve outlived countless “real” bands, built a catalog, played legitimate gigs, and proven their staying power over generations. This sequel proves that the loudest joke in rock history is also one of its greatest bands. The end continues, indeed.
'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' is now in theaters.
