Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol star in Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, a goofball comedy about two slackers who accidentally travel back to 2008, opening a psychic wound that threatens their band's existence. The film, directed by Johnson, blends lo-fi aesthetics with sensational visual effects, winning over audiences with its sheer silliness.
From Web Series to Big Screen
Johnson, known for his 2023 hit BlackBerry, teams up with writing-performing partner McCarrol to create a nerd comedy inspired by Back to the Future. Unlike Robert Zemeckis's classic, this film focuses on infantilized male antics reminiscent of Wayne's World or Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Women play no role in the story.
The plot follows Matt and Jay, two fortysomething slackers from Toronto who dedicate themselves to their terrible band, Nirvanna (the two-n misspelling is part of their loser vibe). They constantly try and fail to get booked at the Rivoli, a hip Toronto venue. After a failed skydiving stunt from the CN Tower, Matt installs a fake time machine in their RV, claiming to be from 2008. When lightning strikes the RV at a certain speed, they actually travel back to 2008, opening a psychic wound that leads Jay to plan a solo career.
Time Travel and Absurdity
The choice of 2008 is arbitrary, with no explicit rationale beyond its significance as the start of Obama's presidency and the great crash. Canada fared better economically during that time, but the film avoids grownup satire, instead embracing daft arbitrariness. The conviction Johnson and McCarrol bring to their high concept recalls Shane Carruth's serious cult film Primer. If there's a serious point, it's how quickly time passes while trying and failing in the music business.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is in UK and Irish cinemas from 3 July. According to the review, the film's lo-fi klutz aesthetic coexists with sensational digital trickery, making it a ridiculous hellzapoppin' spectacle that will win over viewers outside the existing fanbase.
