Matt Johnson’s “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” harkens back to а childhood memory of backyard filmmaking, where everything is homemade and you can tell the filmmaker has a reverence for the craft, evident in their love for cultural objects and sheer ambition. The same impromptu formula can be found in the film’s predecessor web and TV series, although the film heightens the stakes on every count.
The film follows the titular Nirvanna The Band as they strive to achieve one depressingly simplistic goal: playing a concert in Toronto’s Rivoli. But the film features one twist that both separates and elevates it as a truly masterful comedy: while the scenes are scripted, they are performed and filmed in the real world, bereft of sets, professional lighting or any other Hollywood expenditure. It also means that passersby on the street can interact with the actors at any given moment, adding to the absurdity while creating a distinct level of realism. This choice shows the power movies have to make fantastical moments that would be impossible to buy into otherwise feel authentic. And, because the film’s production is so centered in reality, you truly aren’t sure what is real and what is fake.
This fluid quality of filmmaking can be found in Johnson’s past works such as “Blackberry” and “The Dirties,” but is at its best here. Almost every shot is guerrilla style with a handheld camera, creating a homemade feel and a cheap, dingy aesthetic that makes everything feel lived-in and surprisingly realistic. Ridiculous objects like a homemade time machine or pocket wire cutters are both things that in no way should work in a film attempting to portray a reasonable reality. But because everything is shot in a shaky, pragmatic manner, it creates a perfect combination of unpredictability and utter shock. As you witness visuals that shouldn’t be possible, your brain is constantly doing the math of how Johnson’s team pulled these elements together and got each shot to work in continuity, specifically in their interactions with pedestrians, where you can’t fathom how some of the things people said weren’t preordained. Even in moments when the film uses VFX work, you have to do a double take to question if what you are seeing (like people skydiving off the CN tower) is real or fake, creating something that feels authentic.
Due to the film’s realistic nature, you often find yourself asking: How is any of this legal? How did they get access to film inside iconic Toronto locations, or how did they show the flux capacitor from “Back To The Future” while also playing the film’s iconic theme? Johnson’s (or his lawyer’s) success in pulling off this legal tap dance further adds to the film’s artistry, as he expertly toes the line of copyright and safety law. Even the titular band itself is a riff on copyright law, as they have absolutely no relation to the grunge band Nirvana.
All of these moments of cinematic references and real locations show the value of pop culture knowledge and how it can be applied to the cinematic medium, making moments where the film steps widely outside of its realistic boundaries feel earned. Our characters CGI themselves into celebrity talk shows, place themselves into iconic pop culture moments of the 2000s and in one particular scene, we find our characters inside a movie theater, unaware that they are in the year 2008. The film they’re watching features a line that sparks a hysterical reaction from the audience — a line that probably would not go over as well in the modern day. The audience’s reaction both clues our characters into what year they are in, but also shows how far we as a society have come through exploring the cultural archive. Even when they briefly show a detail as small as a billboard, it’s clearly demonstrating the film’s message that all media has cultural value and determines the way we view an era. “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” contradicts the idea that we are currently in a cultural slump by displaying these artifacts of the early 2000s and treating them with a level of reverence that feels adoring.
With the 8-year-old canceled series having reached cult status, it feels inevitable that the film will find the same fate, and rightfully so. “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” deserves to be seen in a packed theater and will hopefully be played by repertory theaters for years to come. Johnson’s and co-writer/co-star Jay McCarrol’s film is a showcase in great filmmaking, great writing and great comedic performances — even the pair’s facial expressions left the audience roaring in the movie theater. There is a clear craftsmanship and reverence for media at work in this film. One that is so meticulous in both its filmmaking approach and structural flow that you can rest assured, there is truly nothing else like “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.” There may never be anything like it again.
Daily Arts Contributor Sam Brown can be reached at sbrownie@umich.edu.