'Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie' Review: Canada’s Geekiest Comedy Duo Craft a Time-Traveling All-Timer
Every generation has a buddy-comedy duo that adds a new umbrella into the genre; Bud Abbott and Lou Costello shaped vaudeville. Cheech and Chong and Jay and Silent Bob were the architects of stoner comedy. Bill and Ted and Beavis and Butt-Head made idiocy and lowbrow humor look cool.
Matt Johnson (BlackBerry director/star) and Jay McCarrol (Hell of a Summer and BlackBerry composer) as Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, two Canadian musicians whose harebrained schemes to play at a Toronto bar with a camera crew following their every move via Nirvanna the Band the Show – my only knowledge of it was their update day video sketch – encapsulate the pillars of contemporary millennial humor. The feature adaptation to their webseries and 2017 Viceland sequel series, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, is a perfect emblem of their stamp as an all-time great comedy duo.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of NEON
MPA Rating: R (for language and brief violence.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Language: English
Production Companies: Zapruder Films, Telefilm Canada, Crave
Distributor: NEON
Director: Matt Johnson
Writers: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Cast: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol, Jared Raab, Ben Petrie, Ethan Eng, Maddy Wilde
U.S Release Date: February 13, 2026
Nirvanna the Band, aka Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, tried to achieve one goal for nearly twenty years: to book a show at the Rivoli. But their road to Canada’s swanky bar is riddled with Johnson’s zany schemes and McCarrol’s loyal reluctance to tag along. However, when their latest wacky stunt of skydiving into a Blue Jays game from the top of the CN Tower goes awry, Jay enters an existentialist funk. Like clockwork, Matt comes up with a new plan based on Back to the Future and tricks out their RV to reflect the DeLorean. But Jay discreetly plans his exit. When driving the RV to Ottawa for an open mic, unbeknownst to Matt, who is sleeping in the back of the van, the two accidentally travel back to 2008 thanks to the power of the Orbitz drink. Much like Marty McFly, the two find themselves trapped and use every means to get back to the present, but alas, their friendship is tested, and wacky scenarios that break the fabric of fate and time ensue.
NTBTSTM is millennial humor at its finest.
NTBTSTM | Courtesy of NEON
Matt and Jay exemplify millennial humor; the show follows the mockumentary format omnipresent in more than half of current comedy media. They're nerds with an infinite knowledge and love for ‘80s and 90s iconography (it’s a big ol' Back to the Future parody down to McCarrol’s score reflecting Alan Silvestri), and they prank just about everyone they come across with strong improvisational skills. Some fans are already familiar with these parts, but the rebellious spirit in their craft makes this movie feel both fresh and miraculous.
With no knowledge of the duo's 17-year-long history, but as someone who adores hidden-camera guerrilla-style filmmaking, Nirvanna's strength lies in Johnson's magical ability to deceive the viewer. “How did they get away with this?” is the question you'll frequently mutter as its seamless threading of scripted comedy, improv, and pushing the envelope of fair use to make their low-budget indie epic is mystifying. NTBTSTM’s opening CN Tower stunt, which plays like a heist thriller, is as shocking as it is hysterical.
Days of Toronto’s Future Past
Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol in NTBTSTM | Courtesy of NEON
Most of Nirvanna is shot on Toronto city streets, and most of the best comedic bits stem from its bystanders' reactions to the duo's antics or interactions. It follows the same formula as its series counterpart, which will appease fans. However, it also has mass appeal, as newcomers are used to this kind of humor thanks to films like Borat and Bad Grandpa. In contrast to those titles, the comedy gives way to a humorous and affectionate tribute to Toronto, from its landmarks to its inhabitants.
Although the film is a time-traveling tale that documents the friendship between the duo, its most remarkable achievement is the seamless integration of archival footage and filmmaking tricks; present-day Matt and Jay's interactions with their younger selves seem real. It’s as if 2008 Matt and Jay knew they would have a feature adaptation 17 years later and gave their future selves a leg up. Although body doubles and set recreation were used, Johnson’s execution, editing, and shooting are remarkably flawless.
Aside from its incredible production value, Johnson and McCarrol’s 2008 adventure serves as a hilarious shitpost for the r/agedlikemilk subreddit. They offload every “uh-oh, that wouldn't fly today” joke they can. However, Johnson and McCarrol's clever comedic writing and onscreen chemistry ensure that each gag, mainly ingrained in Canadian culture, whether it’s visual or auditory, packs a punch. It shares one of my favorite comedic tropes of the two being so blindsided in their own endeavors, sharing half a brain cell, and ignoring the surrounding reality until way later than expected. It's like if someone spliced Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and doused it in maple syrup.
NTBTSTM weaves a heartwarming BFF fable within their outrageous Back to the Future riff.
Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol in NTBTSTM | Courtesy of NEON
At the core lies a fable of two best friends and their need for one another. Onscreen, it interrogates the caring kinship between the straight man and the man-child, and what the consequences are if the natural order is upset. Considering the co-writers/co-leads have been best friends since childhood, it plays as a love letter to their decades-spanning dynamic. The love shared between the boys shines onscreen, and while the movie serves as a perfect gateway to their series, it's also a tribute to the people who have been with them through many iterations. NTBTSTM’s application of Back to the Future’s structure, which is contained within a perfect 90-minute runtime, allows it to naturally express these concepts while simultaneously providing an overall enjoyable experience.
I've seen NTBTSTM three times in the past year, starting with SXSW 2025 and continuing with its nationwide tour. Each time, I still manage to laugh so hard I lose consciousness. It's indisputably one of the funniest comedies of the decade thus far. I haven’t been obsessed with something this deeply Canadian since Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. Mind you, I have a Ramona Flowers bag tattoo.
Final Statement
Impressively crafted, sharp, nerdy, and very Canadian, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a hilarious romp for its devotees while being an instant comedy classic for everyone else.
