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

180 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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Milford Reid

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Aug 5, 2026

5/5

Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer give superb performances. It's a must-see.

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E Jane Dickinson

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jul 16, 2026

Performances are pushed to the edge of caricature but remain horribly believable.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Sep 15, 2025

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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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Aug 18, 2026

Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap endures because he takes a group of insufferable people and makes us feel for them.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 10, 2026

3.5/4

It now stands as one of the premier cult movies of all time, an honor no one saw coming back in ’84.

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Phil Kloer

Florida Times-Union

Jan 21, 2026

3.5/4

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

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Robert P

@Superbad 4 days ago

This is Spinal Tap = a *5* star Movie!

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nick S

@Nick_S Sep 3, 2026

An acquired taste, but for fans of this sort of humour it's near perfection. It's easy to miss a lot of the jokes as they're delivered straight. But it's hilarious how serious this claptrap band takes itself.

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Louis F

@Rene.J Aug 28, 2026

One of the all time funniest movies ever made.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Aug 24, 2026

A perfect comedy with great, brilliant laughs from the first to the last frame. The comedy is brilliant, creative. The music is fantastic and the acting is sublime, I mean award caliber work. Director Rob Reiner started his brilliant streak of wonderful movies here and this start is pure comedy bliss!

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bruce F

@bruce999 Aug 3, 2026

has some funny lines... like about the leaving of the drummer. he vanished in a 'poof' it is amusing. worth watching

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Spencer P

@s_plewe Jul 30, 2026

Being Rob Reiner's low-budget first movie, This is Spinal Tap moves subtly and swiftly from joke to joke without effort, satirizing the rock band and rock tour experience to surprisingly profound effect.

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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)

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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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