Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is the rare legacy comedy sequel that is subtle, organic, and worth the wait

Legacy horror film sequels, which have come back in droves since the pandemic, are the easiest genre to point to right now if you want to explain how goddamned difficult it is for Hollywood to recreate lightning in a bottle. Aside from Final Destination: Bloodlines, the 2020s have proven to be a dumping ground for the only thing worse than sequelitis—returning to the same old well and bringing along characters that have no reason to still be dragged, kicking and screaming, back to their old franchise. Pairing that legacy sequel problem with the long, languid history of mainstream comedy sequels—from your dozen entries in the American Pie series to Blues Brothers 2000—it’s understandable why audiences would be hesitant to expect much from a 2025 return to 1984’s This is Spinal Tap. What pos