High on entertainment value but largely lacking in depth, I enjoyed this quick peek into the life of Steve Glew, the “Pez Outlaw.”

Steve Glew spent many unhappy years working as a machinist in Michigan before he began importing European Pez dispensers to sell to US collectors in the 1990s. His rise to Pez infamy is of course followed by a fall from grace, but Steve is eventually reborn as a minor Pez celebrity.

I enjoyed Steve Glew’s frankness about how much he hated his pre-Pez job as a machinist. He repeatedly stated how depressed he was to have to go to work every day, and how he felt like he was in a prison. The transformative power of money is made clear when the Pez profits started rolling in and Steve and his wife, Kathy, get to quit their jobs and start doing what they love instead. For Steve that meant buying and selling Pez full-time, for Kathy it meant getting certified as a horseback riding therapist. They were able to build a new house on their property and pay for their daughter to go to college. Money allows us to be the best versions of ourselves.

I also appreciate Steve and Kathy’s honesty about Steve’s struggle with depression and OCD over the years, and his eventual diagnosis with bipolar disorder. There is no shame in their voices when they talk of it; it is a simple fact, just like Kathy’s Parkinson’s diagnosis.

The Pez Outlaw is enjoyable and well done. The reenactments–which I normally hate–were irreverent and often made me laugh. Steve Glew is a multidimensional hero surrounded by engaging supporting characters and a likable wife. This is not a life-changing documentary, but it was a solid ninety minutes of entertainment.