‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ Review: A Miraculous Triumph of Silly Cinema

This review was made possible by Popped receiving an advanced screener of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Why ease into a review when you can get straight to the point? Stop reading this, and run – don’t walk – to your local theater and see Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. If they’re not showing it, tell them to make it happen. In more ways than one, it’s a miracle this film exists, and an even greater one that it has a theatrical release (thank you, NEON!). If you’re unfamiliar with the hijinks of stars Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, allow me to address what are likely your two main questions: 1. No, this is not about that Nirvana. These guys are much cooler… I mean, look at that fedora. 2. You don’t need to know anything about the film’s predecessor, Nirvanna the Band the Show. This film is both comfortably accessible and wild as hell, fan or not. But I’ll key you in on the basic premise of the series anyways, and how NTBTS The Movie expands on it to an astonishing degree.

‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ Is For Everyone

Toronto. 2008. Matt and Jay are best friends who have created a musical act called Nirvanna the Band, and they want nothing more than to book a show at local venue “The Rivoli.”

Toronto. 2017. Matt and Jay are best friends who have created a musical act called Nirvanna the Band, and they want nothing more than to book a show at local venue “The Rivoli.”

Toronto. 2025. Alright, you get it. It’s a simple premise. But simple premises can give way to the boldest innovation. These fictional versions of Johnson and McCarrol are cursed with the Sisyphean task of chasing their semi-plausible dream; Episode after episode, they carry out elaborate plans to book the venue that always end in miserable (but hilarious) failure. In a sense it’s Phineas and Ferb for adults, with the duo starting out scribbling ridiculous ideas on a whiteboard and then heading into the city with their crazy plot — even with some fun little songs in between! Perhaps the most unique part of it is that, while it’s a narrative series, they’re going out into the real world with real people, which adds a little extra seasoning to the mix. Strangers can be as weird and unpredictable as Matt and Jay, so they often have to improvise through whatever situation they’ve gotten themselves into… which can even steer the direction of a whole episode. Throughout Nirvanna the Band’s history, little has changed. The 2008 web series was low-budget, but the pieces were all there. The 2017 Viceland TV series was an evolution with a little more polish. And the 2026 film is yet another incarnation of the same, tried and true formula, just bigger and bolder.

So I implore you, just start. It ultimately doesn’t matter where, because it’s all wonderful. But I can’t think of a more exciting place than here. The Movie. Jump in the deep end. It’s not deep because there’s a barrier to entry where you need to understand lore, its that they just go for it in wilder ways than ever before.

’Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ Is A Mind-Boggling Trip

The core concept for Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a fun one, although probably challenging for Johnson and McCarrol’s lawyers: It’s just a new Back to the Future. While embarking on one of their foolish plans, Matt and Jay accidentally time travel back to — you guessed it — 2008. And when I compare it to BTTF, I mean it… there’s the music, a flux capacitor, and the 88 MPH. They’re just asking to be sued. But that’s one of the joys of this movie. It often feels like a giant middle finger in all the right ways. For them, rules exist to be broken. Want to pull off a stunt worthy of Tom Cruise with seemingly no bureaucratic approval? Go for it. How about getting up close with a real-world current event to shape your own narrative? Sure, why not. It’s a boundary-pushing marvel that feels like the product of someone high out of their mind going “and for my next trick,” but in this case, it’s not. It’s Matt and Jay, and they’re present and sincere as always, even in the face of danger or public embarrassment.

While the first act features one of the biggest setpieces, it’s the more lowkey second act set in 2008 that I adore the most. It gets to the heart of Matt and Jay’s long-lasting friendship and puts them up against their own insecurities, which ends up being the heart of the film. Not to mention the gags centered around the duo’s arrival in the past are some of the most hysterical jokes put to screen this year. It also just has some of the most smartly shot and edited time travel scenes I’ve ever seen. The second I realized what they were doing, I was floored. It’s one of many times throughout the film where I questioned, “How did they do that?” That seems to be a running theme, as I’m still asking myself how scenes were shot and stunts were achieved. Johnson and McCarrol walk a fine line with their movie magic, as I’m sure there was some behind-the-scenes work for certain things. But it’s clear from both recent interviews and their real-world style of filming that, shockingly, nothing seems to have been wholly staged. They’re masters of blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ – Final Thoughts

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie has no right to exist, and yet it does. It’s a blank check adaptation of a niche Canadian TV show few have heard of, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the brightest beacons of the comedy genre to hit cinemas this decade. Whether you’re a fan of the series, you need something funny to watch, or you just sort of like Back to the Future, this is for you. Even if you take away the baffling stunts, the hilarious manipulation of current events, and the cleverly edited time travel, you end up with a regular episode of Nirvanna the Band the Show… which is still among the best things I’ve ever watched.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie releases in theaters on February 13. Check out the trailer below: