NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE - - The Review

Review by Adam Donato

For some, it’s the destination. For many, it’s the journey. For most, it’s the company you keep. Matt Johnson is one of the most exciting young filmmakers, but has yet to establish mainstream success. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is the Canadian filmmaker’s fourth feature and it’s a movie spinoff of the niche web series and television show. Johnson’s self-titled character is paired with his best friend Jay McCarrol as they set out to accomplish their lifelong goal: to perform a show at the Rivoli (a restaurant/bar/performance space). The show covers the insane plans cooked up by Matt and the pure friendship that he shares with Jay. Neon has done a great job as of late producing quality films, even winning Best Picture with Anora just a year ago. Johnson certainly has his fans and as the box office saw from Iron Lung, amazing things can be done when fans love a movie. The question then becomes if Johnson can land the plane by successfully transitioning his show into movie form. 

Sometimes bringing a story and characters back after so much time has passed can be depressing. Luckily, Nirvanna the Band the Show has always operated with its own sense of reality. Our two best friends are still doing the same old bit as always so it’s as if we’re just stepping into another episode of the show. While it remains in that comfortable place, the movie justifies its existence with great ambition. The first plan alone is far bigger than anything ever attempted on the show. A large element of the story is connecting these characters to their past selves. Time travel can sometimes be a patch that saves everything together or a rabbit hole that takes the train off the rails. Every episode of the show acts as some kind of movie/television parody, so having the movie be a Back to the Future spoof is appropriate and takes full advantage of the opportunity to deliver as emotional of a punch as possible for something as unabashedly goofy as this.

One of the more interesting aspects of Nirvanna the Band the Show is discerning how real what’s happening on screen is. How they are able to pull off some of these stunts is truly remarkable. If it is just movie magic, then the level of skill and practice necessary to pull off the illusion is downright impressive. It’s not like Borat where the point is to get the random people to say outlandish things, but more so the art of keeping the bit going. There’s a clear and present love for Canada that lives through all of Johnson’s work and this might be the most glowing example. Enough so that certain pranks/scenes would’ve ruined by recognizing the main characters. This just further highlights how impressive it is that they’re able to pull all of this off. 

The true heart of this movie, and the show as well, is the true friendship between these two characters. It almost plays as a romance. Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol slip right back into their roles after a decade of absence. Their chemistry together is through the roof. It adds to the history of these characters if you’ve seen the show, but not entirely necessary. The character arcs the pair go through are hilariously poignant and the end of their journey is one of the most satisfying moments in recent memory. They’re not winning an Oscar or anything, but they’re up there with the best of comedic duos. 

The uninitiated may feel alienated, but fans of the show will be more than satisfying. The humor is silly and the characters are overtly goofy, but that’s all part of the charm. It’s clear Matt Johnson has done justice to what is clearly his baby. It will be extremely exciting to see his career progress forward from here and hopefully more people are encouraged to go check out his work. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a hoot and a half. 

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is in theaters February 13th!

Rating: 4/5