Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie (2025): a review
In spite of the name, Nirvanna: The Show The Band The Movie has nothing to do with more popular rock band. It is based on a show which was inspired be the lives of its two creators, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarol
Photo courtesy of Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol/Wikimedia Commons
I went into the cinema completely blind—I would not have asked for it any other way. Nivanna: The Band The Show The Movie (2025) is nutty, hysterical, absurd, and somehow, ridiculously genius. Released in U.S. theatres on Feb. 13, 2026 distributed by indie film production company NEON, the ambitious one-of-a-kind film is directed by Matthew Johnson and written by Matthew Johnson and Jay McCarrol.
The Toronto-based gem follows life-long best friends, Matt (Johnson) and Jay (McCarrol), who meticulously create a desperate plan to book a show at a live music venue, The Rivoli, when things take a turn for the…past?—where Matt and Jay accidentally travel back in time to the year 2008. The adventure-comedy follows the chaotic buddies through the ridiculous, unpredictable twists and turns their frenzied adventure brings upon them.
Johnson and McCarrol’s collaboration is nothing new, as Variety summarized it, “The lore of the film goes back to 2007, where Johnson and his real-life best friend Jay McCarrol debuted the web series ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show,’ in which the pair play fictionalized versions of themselves, and documents their hapless attempts to perform at the Rivoli, a local venue in their native Toronto.” Sounds familiar.
The filmmaking and technical aspects of Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie (2025) are brilliantly assembled. First, the film masterfully executes Guerrilla filmmaking, a technique centered around a typically low-budget project, hand-held cameras, and unapologetic “hitting of the streets” without permits or permission. This ambitious approach is notoriously difficult to master, but Johnson and McCarrol persist against the odds.
Secondly, its seamless editing plays a major role in its miraculously successful delivery. Rather than using CGI or makeup to portray their younger (2008) versions, according to Filmmaker Magazine, “this effect was achieved through clever compositing and the diligent work of editors Curt Lobb and Robert Upchurch, who reviewed hundreds of hours of footage left over from Nirvanna’s original web-series run.” CGI was used sparingly throughout the film, mostly used for enhancements and stunts that could not be fulfilled in real-time. The meticulous craftsmanship and dedication resulted in an effortless composition that is absolutely award-worthy editing.
The film has received high praise and enthusiastically positive responses. Garnering a near perfect score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received exceptional critical and public acclaim, and even recently won the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)’s People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, according to IMDb. Many viewers question and celebrate how this film was even allowed to be produced and released for its publicity stunts and for the film’s inherent Back to the Future (1985) ties, directly using content and elements from the franchise, making you hope the team has a good lawyer; one popular letterboxd review reads, “asked myself ‘how did they do that???’ at least 50 times.” Nonetheless, appreciation for its dead-pan, absurd humor, seems neverending. One review goes as far as calling it, “the funniest film of 2026.”
Despite its borderline overstimulating chaos and endless tomfoolery, the film is actually as heartwarming as it is hilarious. The film harmoniously delivers themes of friendship and essentially serves as “an outrageous cinematic love letter to Toronto," as described by the Toronto Star. The film is centered in the heart of Toronto and frequently features culturally significant monuments and staples such as The CN Tower and the (now discontinued) 90s beverage exclusive to Canada, Orbitz.
It feels like there is an evident decline in good quality, genuinely funny, comedic films. But, I can happily say this film gives me hope for the future of comedy filmmaking. It is risky, unique, and completely unconcerned with playing it safe, which is exactly why it works. I hope this film inspires filmmakers to lean into their unconventional creativity and continuously test the limits of the film industry. Somehow the most chaotic and carefully crafted film of the year, Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie (2025) feels like it should not exist, yet somehow does. Now, do yourself a favor and find a showing in theatres before it is too late, you will not regret it.