To be perfectly honest, I knew very little about Nirvanna the Band the Show before I walked in to see Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. All I knew was the name, because that’s clearly something you don’t forget. Before the success of his 2023 film BlackBerry, Matt Johnson was mainly known for the controversial school-shooting film The Dirties, the conspiracy dramedy Operation Avalanche, and, of course, Nirvanna the Band the Show. The latter of the three started as a web series in 2007, before ultimately becoming a television series a decade later.
In my defense, Nirvanna the Band the Show is infamously difficult to watch in the United States. Hopefully, that won’t be the case with Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, because this is definitive proof that you can still make an edgy comedy in 2025. It’s also already one of the greatest comedies of the decade.
What Is ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ About?

Image via SXSW

Nirvanna the Band the Show followed Matt Johnson and his best friend Jay McCaroll playing fictionalized versions of themselves, who are members of a band that have never written a song, and keep slacking off about booking a show at their local Toronto venue, The Rivoli. Jay, a pianist, is the straight man of the two, while Matt feels much more like a loose cannon, especially with his schemes for success. It’s kind of like Seinfeld crossed with Borat. At its core, it’s a show about nothing, but it also has some killer hidden-camera pranks as Matt and Jay interact with some unassuming civilians. The feature film adaptation, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, is about so much more than that. Or maybe it isn’t. One thing is for certain, it’s a “copyright nightmare” which Matt says in a fourth-wall-breaking moment in the film.
The movie begins as Matt and Jay are in the midst of their latest attempt to get noticed. They’re going to skydive off the CN Tower and into the Rogers Centre Stadium. A case of bad weather causes their planes to go sideways, and it seems like all is hopeless for our favorite non-band. Just as Jay is about ready to embark on his own solo career, Matt goes full Doc Brown in Back to the Future and creates a time machine out of their RV, and the two end up traveling back to the year 2008.
You Don’t Have To See ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show’ To Enjoy ‘the Movie’

If you have any concerns that you’ll need to watch both seasons of Nirvanna the Band the Show to fully understand the Movie, you’re in luck. Sure, fans of Matt and Jay might have an even greater appreciation for the film, but this is the kind of comedy that is made for anybody who loves movies. It’s the kind of low-budget, high-concept comedy that the big studios wouldn’t dare make anymore. Which is a damn shame as this film is absolutely hilarious.
We don’t get many straightforward comedies on the big screen anymore. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is able to make edgy humor out of how things have changed, including a memorable bit that has our heroes stumbling into an early screening of The Hangover. From the frequent pop-culture references to the hilarious self-insert montages, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a gold mine of laughs. You’ll probably need to watch it multiple times to catch every joke Matt and Jay throw at the wall, but almost all of it works to perfection.
‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ Has Revived the Parody Movie

Image via SXSW

Remember when parody movies were such a big thing in Hollywood? From Airplane! to the original Scary Movie, there are plenty of memorable ones. In the last decade-and-a-half, certain movies like Disaster Movie and Fifty Shades of Black have sent the genre to the point of near-extinction, only for Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie to completely revive it with their take on Back to the Future. However, unlike those aforementioned movies, the film doesn’t feel like it’s just spoofing the 80s classic because it’s such a well-known IP. If anything, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie feels like it’s a loving tribute to Zemeckis’ film, complete with music cues taken directly from the film.
Much like the show that started it all, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie has several hidden-camera scenes featuring the stars interacting with real people. These moments are great, especially one set in a hardware store, but they don’t come as frequently as you might like for them to. The comedy still runs over two hours, and it does play at the perfect length, as I can’t think of anything I would have taken out of this movie.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is not only the funniest movie I’ve seen at SXSW, it’s one of the funniest I’ve seen in years. If you love comedies, even if you haven’t seen the original series, the latest from Matt Johnson is an absolute must-see. Now we can only hope it will be released in the US sometime soon.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is one of the greatest comedies of the 2020s and delivers big laughs.

Release Date

March 9, 2025

Runtime

125 Minutes

Director

Matt Johnson

Writers

Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol

Pros & Cons

Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol are hilarious together.
Finds creative ways to garner laughs, including a scene involving The Hangover.
Lovingly parodies Back to the Future in an earnest nature.