The Pez Outlaw

The Pez Outlaw is a story about Steve Glew, who lives in Michigan and has a well-paying and steady job as a machinist. The only problem is that he hates his job. He also struggles with anxiety and depression. He longs for adventure and is full of hair-brained ideas. His wife, Kathy usually says “no” to every wild idea he has—until one day she says “yes.”

With his wife’s permission, Glew becomes emboldened to quit his job and pursue his passion—collecting and selling rare Pez dispensers.

Believe it or not, there is a passionate niche of collectors who attempt to collect every Pez dispenser ever made. The most alluring and exotic candy dispensers are the ones that are exclusive to Europe. That’s because in the 1990s, Pez Candy company was an international company, but the United States distributor made the final decision about which candy dispensers would be sold in the States—and many of the best Pez designs were rejected.

This is where Steve Glew takes distribution into his own hands and becomes The Pez Outlaw. With gray duffle bags, Glew flies to Eastern Europe, drives through side streets, knocks on alleyway doors, makes deals with factory workers, and eventually imports hundreds of thousands of exclusive Pez dispensers into the States because of a legal loophole.

The movie is a fun, entertaining story about a “nobody” who takes on “BIG PEZ,” and in the process, becomes a millionaire—until those in charge (The Pez-ident, Scott McWhinnie) decides to put an end to his outlaw-ish ways. In the process, Glew rides high, comes crashing down, and eventually becomes a legend in the Pez collecting community.

The documentary is a good reminder to say “yes” more often. Christians should take inspiration from Steve Glew who doesn’t care too much about what others think, loves his wife, and lives life to the fullest, while being honest about his struggles and setbacks. (Netflix, Rated TV-14 — language)