'Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie' the Review

The best new comedy you haven’t heard of

This Valentine’s Day I convinced my husband to go see a movie we both knew nothing about. I had only seen the trailer a week or so prior while scrolling in social media. After watching the trailers I knew I needed to know more. Who were these characters? What is happening? Why do I need to see this? We both entered our local theatre ready for whatever you were about to witness.

The film is based on a web series then later a Viceland show (RIP) called Nirvanna The Band The Show. I was completely unaware of this until I overheard two guys talking in the movie theatre lobby. I only have the vaguest idea, but I found a lot of people had not seen the show either. This was my first introduction into the world of Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol.

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie follows friends Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol on a quest to play a show at the Toronto music venue, the Rivoli. The duo has been attempting to book a show there for 17 years, despite never writing a full song together. Matt believes he has one last plan to change everything. As the film goes on, the two accidentally go back to 2008. I won’t give away any other information, because this is a film that needs to be seen with minimal information.

The film is shot documentary-style with real people being involved in the filming. It feels like the only people who know what is happening are Matt and Jay, at times they don’t know what’s happening. The way it is filmed makes the audience feel like they’re part of it. The guerrilla-style is raw, honest, and in an era of films having humongous budgets it’s a breath of fresh air. There were shots that I was genuinely awe-struck by. There was some use of VFX, but nothing like most wide theatrical releases. I did not see Blackberry (2023) which was directed by Johnson. I thoroughly enjoyed the directorial work on this film and will be exploring Johnson’s other work.

(Editor: Our review of BlackBerry below)

Johnson and McCarrol are unstoppable together. The jokes don’t ever seem to stop, yet there are some tender heart-warming moments as well. I have never seen a film truly like this. There are jokes from the movie that I still continue to think about and laugh at. Our little theatre was erupting with laughter at almost every single joke (and there’s a lot). The writing is so clean. Despite Johnson finding success in other ventures, you can tell he has a lot of love for this series and now movie. This was as much for the fans as curious outsiders. The run-time is shockingly short being just 99 minutes. I felt like it was the perfect length without rushing or detracting from the plot.

Another element of the film that has been talked about online, but I will continue to sing its praises here is the amount of references and Fair Use materials they used. Three fair use lawyers worked on this movie. I was shocked by what they got away with. You can tell the guys love movies and how important filmmaking is to them. From filming real people to outside of Drake’s mansion swarmed with cop cars, I have no idea how this got made. There’s a joke within the film that touches on this aspect and it’s perfect.

This movie is definitely not made for kids. However, it’s great for an adult movie night. There are no sex scenes or really any sex jokes to make you uncomfortable. There is some swearing at times bleeped and other times not (it’s a pretty funny running joke). There is some violence with some of the characters which is a bit too much for younger audiences. All in all, an adult comedy is far cleaner than most movies I have seen from the last 25 years or so.

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is a hilarious feat of filmmaking. I could not believe what was happening on screen and was able to laugh the entire time. It made me appreciate going to the movies and seeing something I know nothing about. There’s a huge risk making a movie like this, yet I’m so grateful it was. I walked in knowing nothing about Matt and Jay, but walked out with two new friends. There’s something about seeing a movie made on a smaller budget for the love of making it with your friends. The film made me nostalgic for a simpler time, yet it also talked about how bad of a time it was. It also made me appreciate the weird creative endeavors I attempted with friends. The film at its heart is about friendship and how much they enrich your life. I left the theatre wanting to create something and hug my friends - the way a good film should make you feel.

Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is now playing in select theaters.

(Editor’s Note: Still not convinced? Watch the clip below from the original show and see if you can’t get this song out of your head for the next week)