After enjoying a small limited released in October of 2022 and being available on VOD ever since, Sidestilt Films and Gravitas Ventures’ hit documentary of 2022 The Pez Outlaw is now streaming on Netflix. Directed by husband and wife duo Bryan Storkel and Amy Bandlien Storkel, the film tells the unbelievable true story of Steve Glew, a man from Michigan who would become known as The Pez Outlaw thanks to his antics. As the documentary reveals via interviews and recreations, Glew found a hilarious loophole and created a booming business enterprise selling contraband PEZ dispensers. That’s at least describing it in short, the film itself is one filled with so many surprises that it’s fascinating on multiple levels.
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Critics also agree that the movie is a wild one as the film is currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 24 total reviews submitted. Called “An unforgettable David vs. Goliath story’ by RogerEbert.com, The Pez Outlaw earned a 10 out of 10 rating from Film Threat, who write: “This is the kind of film you’d show to someone who doesn’t like documentaries to change their mind. It is that good and powerful.”
“Like Pez, the film is charming and colorful — and perhaps too sweet,” writes The New York Times. Finally, Awards Daily says: “The Pez Outlaw is a spy-thriller wrapped in a fascinating, oddball comedy that is all based on a true story. It’s the type of documentary I am most frequently drawn to – clever subject matter with exceptional storytelling.” Though without a “Certified Fresh” distinction from the site, it seems inevitable for the hit documentary to not be given one soon, especially as it gains traction on Netflix.
The official description for The Pez Outlaw reads as follows: “This incredible fish-out-of-water story follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a small-town Michigan man, who boards a plane for Eastern Europe soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. His mission is to locate a secret factory that holds the key to the most desired and valuable Pez dispensers. If he succeeds, he will pull his family out of debt and finally be able to quit his job of 25 years. Steve becomes the hero of his own adventure, smuggling the rarest of goods into the U.S. and making millions in the process. It was all magical, until his arch-nemesis, the Pezident decided to destroy him.”
