This is a masterpiece?
Matt Johnson, the brilliant and unpredictable filmmaker behind THE DIRTIES (2013), trades psychological horror for chaotic comedy in NIRVANNA THE SHOW THE BAND: THE MOVIE. While THE DIRTIES was a deeply unsettling found footage film about two teens planning a school shooting, this new film swaps violence for friendship, delusion, and wild stunts. Yet, it retains Johnson’s signature style… raw, inventive, and wildly unpredictable.
The story centers on Matt and his best friend Jay McCarrol, who live together and play in a band called “Nirvanna the Band.” The name is fittingly ironic since they have no fans, no songs, and no musical talent (at least from Matt’s part). But Matt has had a dream for the last 17 years: to play a show at the Rivoli, a Toronto venue that represents success in his mind. Jay, increasingly skeptical and tired of Matt’s antics, only half-heartedly participates in the band’s absurd efforts to gain attention. Filmed in a loose documentary style, the film uses a handheld camera operated by an unseen friend or crew member. Occasionally acknowledged by the characters, the presence of the camera becomes easy to forget, giving the whole film a voyeuristic and intimate quality. In many ways, it recalls the spontaneous energy of Jackass or a Sacha Baron Cohen project, with real people reacting to the duo’s public stunts, prank performances, and social experiments.
As the film progresses, the slapstick comedy takes an emotional turn. A particularly reckless stunt causes a falling-out between Matt and Jay, which leads Jay to finally break away from his unhinged friend. Seeking escape, Jay makes a break for it, but in true Nirvanna the Band fashion, his exit goes sideways. He ends up traveling back to 2008 Toronto, and encounters a surreal version of the past where pop culture icons like Bill Cosby and Jared from Subway are still idolized, and THE HANGOVER feels fresh and edgy. This time-travel twist is handled brilliantly as it is more than just a narrative gimmick. By revisiting the past, Jay is forced to re-experience many of Matt’s earlier schemes, realizing just how long he has enabled the chaos in his life. In a stroke of creative genius, the film seamlessly incorporates footage from the original Nirvanna the Band the Show (2016–2018), blending it with newly shot material. The result is a surprisingly poignant and disorienting mix of past and present that deepens the emotional core of the film.
As someone who has had the same best friend for well over two decades, this story hit hard. There is something truly affecting about watching a friendship stretch, bend, and nearly break under the weight of time and failure. The absurd time-travel narrative allows Matt and Jay to confront the highs and lows of their history together. Matt may be delusional, but his relentless optimism is often as touching as it is maddening. Jay’s anxiety and quiet resentment build a realistic counterbalance to Matt’s boundless energy. The push and pull between them is the film’s true engine.
Visually, the film feels spontaneous, messy, and alive. This is partly because it was still being filmed only nine days before its premiere at SXSW. That last-minute scramble shows in places, with small continuity errors popping up throughout. In particular, keep an eye on the whiteboards behind characters during scenes with eye-line matches because the drawings and scribbles change between shots. These little glitches might distract in a traditional film, but here they only add to the film’s charm and sense of controlled chaos. And one of the more fascinating aspects of the movie is how legally un-releasable it feels because the filmmakers use copyrighted music and cultural references with reckless abandon. It is a copyright lawyer’s worst nightmare and an audience’s dream. In fact, if you ever get the chance to see it in a theater, consider yourself lucky.
NIRVANNA THE SHOW THE BAND: THE MOVIE is a rare piece of cinema. It is hilarious, heartfelt, and deeply personal. It celebrates the madness of lifelong friendship, the pain of growing apart, and the joy of shared delusion. Despite all its imperfections (and maybe because of them), it is a one-of-a-kind viewing experience that deserves to be seen. To distributors out there: No one has picked this up yet (probably because it is a copyright nightmare), but don’t be a coward. This film deserves to be seen.
Tags: Amylou Ahava, Canada, comedy, Curt Lobb, Elevation Pictures, Found-Footage, Jared Raab, Jay McCarrol, Matt Johnson, Matthew Johnson, Mockumentary, Robert Upchurch, SXSW, SXSW 2025, Telefilm Canada, Toronto, TV
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