This is a film that has been a long time in gestation. Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol created a web series Nirvana the Band the Show in 2007. Ten years later, they made a series for Canadian TV with the same title. Johnson and McCarrol star as a fictionalised versions of themselves in a musical duo called Nirvanna the Band. When they attempt to book a gig at the Rivoli in Toronto they are accidentally sent back in time to 2008.
Having seen neither of the previous iterations, I did not have any particular expectations for a movie written by the two of them and directed by Johnson. Fortunately, the story is self contained so that did not matter. I suspect, though, having knowledge of those shows would help your appreciation. My showing only had a half dozen other people in it and most of those were in hysterics from the start, even with scenes such as Johnson walking down a corridor.
For my part I found Johnson and McCarroll man-child personas a little annoying to start with. But I warmed to them somewhat and their antics were intermittently amusing. It would be hard to get no laughs from a time travel scenario and there is one truly laugh out loud moment involving a shooting.
After doing some research post seeing the film, I was impressed with how Johnson inserted old footage of themselves into the film in a seamless manner and with how a stunt at the CN Tower was executed.
Rating: 6 out of 10