Very few filmmakers get up on stage introducing their movie by saying “You may be the only audience that ever gets to see this film.” Although that may be a bit of an exaggeration for Blackberry director Matt Johnson’s latest movie, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, this comedy truly gives no f*cks, making it one of the most creative, boundary-pushing films in recent memory.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Review
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie follows the duo of Matt and Jay (fictionalized versions of the creators/stars) as they continue to try to get a show at their coveted music venue, the Rivoli. Only this time, they resort to an unorthodox method to try to secure the gig of their dreams: they build a time machine.
You might be wondering if you can watch Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie even if you haven’t seen the short-lived CBC/Viceland series, which is now only available pseudo-legally online in the United States. The answer is a resounding yes. Although there are certainly some in-jokes that are better appreciated if you have seen the past seasons of the show, you can still appreciate the insanity of what Johnson and McCarroll have pulled off with this movie even if you haven’t.
There is plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the film that will have viewers rolling in their seats with laughter. It’s rare to find a movie like this, with jokes that are a laugh a minute, where it feels like almost none of them fall flat. Some of the funniest jokes in the movie are visual gags poking fun at the culture of 2008 in ways that will have audiences laughing with a mixture of nostalgia and embarrassment.
The real highlight of the film, though, is the Borat-style stunt comedy that is functioning on a level that’s funnier than even some of Sacha Baron Cohen’s work. It’s hard to tell where the moments that involve unsuspecting non-actors and those that are completely staged begin and end because Johnson does such an incredible job of making everything look so real that the only thing that keeps you from believing it is entirely true is the over-the-top absurdity of what is happening.
The techniques that Johnson uses to pull off some of these wacky, creative ideas — from CGI to creative prop work and clever editing tricks — are so good that viewers will be walking away from the movie asking, “How did he do that?” But like the best magicians never reveal their secrets, one almost hopes that Johnson never reveals how this sausage was made and instead leaves it as an elusive and mystic work of inexplicable brilliance.
In the tradition of the show, there is also some really fun original music in Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. These are comedy songs, so they’re on the ridiculous side, but they’re also very catchy and easily listenable. Even the song that is designed to mock pop music is well-constructed and entirely believable as something that you could hear on the radio.
That being said, as funny and impressively-made as it is, there is one thing that Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie would not work without, and that is its central duo. Matt and Jay have incredible chemistry together (not a surprise, considering that they are friends in real life), and their friendship arc in the movie provides an amazing emotional core for the film. Their story is what will get audiences invested and allow them to suspend their disbelief when it comes to the absurd elements of the movie.
Is Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie worth watching?
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is one of the most impressive works of comedy filmmaking of the decade so far. Not only is it genuinely hilarious, but Johnson has also done some things with the film that are so impressive they seem like they must have been impossible feats. Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, this is the type of movie you absolutely must see to believe.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 7-15 in Austin, TX.
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