You don’t need to be familiar with the beloved, short lived cult television series Nirvanna The Band The Show to understand or enjoy the giddy delights of creators Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol’s Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie, but it helps. You also don’t need to be from Toronto to get a lot of the jokes in what might be the most hyper-local laugh riot ever created, but again, it certainly doesn’t hurt. A fourth-wall breaking, ludicrously plotted, and comically anarchic blast, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is a loving ode to the city that birthed it and a testament to the oddballs trying to make a go of questionable career choices.
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The plot of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie is the same as it ever was: budding Queen and Spadina area musicians/best pals Matt and Jay are trying to land a gig at The Rivoli. This time, the ever scheming and big thinking Matt has a couple of jaw-droppingly stupid stunts in mind to raise their profile, but Jay is starting to get frustrated with their stagnancy and is thinking of making a go of it as a solo artist. At one point, Matt and Jay’s duelling plans collide in an unexpected way, causing them to accidentally time travel back to the year 2008.
Made with a surprising amount of love and care for something this silly, Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie feels like the payoff to a long term plan, but one that works as a stand alone lark. Johnson and McCarrol aren’t afraid to play the fools, and their status as two of Toronto’s best goofball representatives is assured with this endlessly referential, laugh a minute comedy epic.
Behind the camera, Johnson is able to mount some highly impressive set pieces that are reminiscent of not one, but two very different Robert Zemeckis movie (not to mention that one Ashton Kutcher movie). The script also smartly skewers the ways comedy has changed since 2008 (including a killer Todd Philips diss) and the sometimes illogical geography employed by filmmakers while showcasing the city of Toronto. There are also moments in the film featuring some impressive visual effects that will make viewers wonder how they pulled all of this off. It’s a film that’s really set to bring Toronto to the world, or at least to The Rivoli.
Monday, September 8, 2025 – 7:30 pm – Scotiabank Theatre 12
Saturday, September 13, 2025 – 10:30 am – Scotiabank Theatre 2
