what is it?
ntbts started life as a webseries that ran from 2007-2009, created by real-life best friends matt johnson and jay mccarrol. it was later adapted into a series by vice, which had two seasons that ran from 2017-2018. within the show, matt and jay are lifelong friends and musicians, and they're willing to do anything to get their band a show at the rivoli. it doesn't matter that the band is just jay on piano and matt doing improvised spoken word, or that they've never actually talked to anyone at the rivoli, or that they've never played or show or even recorded any material. they will do anything. each episode revolves around a different plan devised by matt to achieve this goal.
both series were shot like a documentary, with the camera crew often participating in the plot, and regularly involving actual unsuspecting torontonians. while there were plot beats that were scripted, the majority of the show was improv and the plot would be affected by that improv, current real-world events, and their interactions with regular people.
matt johnson
matt johnson is a toronto-based director, actor, writer, and producer. he's known for his first film, the dirties (2013) and for his first real commercial success, blackerry (2023). he frequently plays fictionalized versions of himself.
jay mccarrol
jay mccarrol is a toronto-based musician, composer, writer, and actor. he's known for his composition work on blackerry (2023) and for his band brave shores, which he started with his sister stefanie.
you need to see nirvanna the band the show the movie
in 2023, matt tried to use the massive success of blackberry to get a third season of the show. for whatever reason, that didn't pan out, and he pivoted to making a film instead.
it originally took the form of a road trip movie, but that concept was scrapped. jay apparently pitched the idea that the film should "parody the the biggest movies of all time," and the existence of tons of both used and unused footage from the webseries led them down the path to making a time travel movie instead.
the movie was shot over 200 days in the same fashion as the series: no permits, no permission, and a lot of improv, all filmed amidst local torontonians (some aware, some less so.) it finally, after premiering at sxsw in march of 2025, received a theatrical release on february 13th, 2026. it had a very favorable critical reception, and has since grossed $5 million.
my wife and i went to the dallas showing and q&a event in december of 2025, and it was an amazing experience. the film was perfect for fans of the series, and i feel as though it was equally enjoyable for those unfamiliar. it's funny, it's ridiculous, it's emotional, it's surprising, it's just plain fun. i highly reccomend it, even if you haven't seen the series. there were so many moments that had me wondering, "how the hell did they do that?" and one that even made me gasp out loud. you'll know it when you see it. it's a labor of love, it's pure canadiana, and it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. it's very clear that matt and jay care deeply about this thing, and it's my sincere hope that they're able to do as much with it as they want to, for as long as they want to.