If you haven’t seen a Matt Johnson project yet, you’ve probably at least heard the yelling. Usually, it’s Glenn Howerton screaming about “The Golden Goose” in BlackBerry, or it's Matt himself, playing a fictionalized, hyper-manic version of himself, trying to sneak a movie into Sundance.
Honestly, the guy is a bit of a nightmare for traditional studios. He breaks laws. He lies to NASA. He films in places he definitely doesn't have permits for. But in 2026, Matt Johnson has moved from being a "cult Canadian secret" to one of the most vital directors working in North America.
The BlackBerry Boom and Beyond
Most people finally caught on when BlackBerry hit theaters in 2023. It wasn't your typical, boring corporate biopic. It felt like a heist movie crossed with a panic attack.
By the time the "mini-series" cut dropped later that year, the world realized Johnson wasn't just lucky. He has a very specific, chaotic energy that makes even the history of a keyboard phone feel like Goodfellas.
The success of that film changed everything for him. It gave him the "industry weight" to finally finish the projects his die-hard fans had been begging for.
Nirvanna the Band the Show: The Movie (2025/2026)
This is the big one. If you've been following the Reddit threads or the Letterboxd deep dives, you know Nirvanna the Band the Show is his masterpiece.
Basically, the premise is simple: two guys, Matt and Jay, want to play a show at The Rivoli in Toronto. The catch? They have no songs. And they’ve never actually spoken to the venue.
After the TV show got caught in the Viceland collapse, the third season was essentially a ghost. But then 2025 happened. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered at SXSW and just started its wide Canadian release in February 2026.
It’s a time-travel mockumentary. Seriously. They use a DeLorean-inspired RV and end up back in 2008. It’s the kind of high-concept, low-budget brilliance that only Johnson pulls off. He spent years fighting for the rights and funding, and the BlackBerry money finally made it happen.
A Career Built on "Borderline Illegal" Stunts
To understand the matt johnson director movies and tv shows catalog, you have to go back to the early stuff. This isn't a guy who went through the standard Hollywood pipeline.
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- The Dirties (2013): This was the debut. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance. It’s a found-footage film about two high schoolers making a movie about bullies. It’s funny until it really, really isn't. It tackles school violence in a way that feels uncomfortably real because, well, the kids in the background didn't always know they were in a movie.
- Operation Avalanche (2016): This is where the legend of his "guerrilla" style really took off. Johnson and his crew actually went to NASA. They told the staff they were a student documentary crew. In reality, they were filming a conspiracy thriller about faking the moon landing.
He used "fair use" laws like a weapon. He filmed on the 2001: A Space Odyssey sets. He basically dared people to sue him. That fearless approach is exactly why his movies feel so alive. They have a texture that "safe" movies just can't replicate.
What’s Next: The 2026 Slate
Right now, Johnson is in a weird spot. He's the "it" director, but he still acts like a student filmmaker.
- Tony: This project is currently in post-production. It’s a departure from his usual mockumentary style but still carries that signature Zapruder Films DNA (the production company he runs with Matthew Miller).
- The Pursuit and Trans Am: These are in development. There's a lot of talk about a "Parkour Project" and even a project involving the Marines.
- Magic: The Gathering: Yeah, you read that right. There have been ongoing talks about him helming something in the MTG universe. It sounds crazy, but if anyone can make a card game feel like a high-stakes conspiracy, it’s the guy who made us care about a 2005 smartphone.
Why You Should Care
A lot of directors "sell out" after their first hit. Johnson did the opposite. He used his BlackBerry fame to go back and make a movie about a band that doesn't exist.
His work is about obsession. Whether it's Mike Lazaridis trying to save a company or Matt trying to get a banner on a building, it’s all about people who are too focused on one thing to realize the world is crashing down around them.
If you want to dive in, don't start with the biggest thing. Start with the TV show. Find the episodes where they try to get into the Santa Claus parade. You'll see the genius immediately.
What to do now:
If you're in Canada, find a screening of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie before it leaves theaters this month. For everyone else, track down BlackBerry on VOD—specifically the "Director’s Cut" miniseries version if you can find it. It has about 15 minutes of extra footage that makes the corporate downfall feel even more like a slow-motion car crash.
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Matt Johnson Movies and TV Shows: Why This Chaos Genius is Winning 2026
If you haven’t seen a Matt Johnson project yet, you’ve probably at least heard the yelling. Usually, it’s Glenn Howerton screaming about “The Golden Goose” in BlackBerry, or it's Matt himself, playing a fictionalized, hyper-manic version of himself, trying to sneak a movie into Sundance.
Honestly, the guy is a bit of a nightmare for traditional studios. He breaks laws. He lies to NASA. He films in places he definitely doesn't have permits for. But in 2026, Matt Johnson has moved from being a "cult Canadian secret" to one of the most vital directors working in North America.
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The BlackBerry Boom and Beyond
Most people finally caught on when BlackBerry hit theaters in 2023. It wasn't your typical, boring corporate biopic. It felt like a heist movie crossed with a panic attack.
By the time the "mini-series" cut dropped later that year, the world realized Johnson wasn't just lucky. He has a very specific, chaotic energy that makes even the history of a keyboard phone feel like Goodfellas.
The success of that film changed everything for him. It gave him the "industry weight" to finally finish the projects his die-hard fans had been begging for.
Nirvanna the Band the Show: The Movie (2025/2026)
This is the big one. If you've been following the Reddit threads or the Letterboxd deep dives, you know Nirvanna the Band the Show is his masterpiece.
Basically, the premise is simple: two guys, Matt and Jay, want to play a show at The Rivoli in Toronto. The catch? They have no songs. And they’ve never actually spoken to the venue.
After the TV show got caught in the Viceland collapse, the third season was essentially a ghost. But then 2025 happened. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie premiered at SXSW and just started its wide Canadian release in February 2026.
It’s a time-travel mockumentary. Seriously. They use a DeLorean-inspired RV and end up back in 2008. It’s the kind of high-concept, low-budget brilliance that only Johnson pulls off. He spent years fighting for the rights and funding, and the BlackBerry money finally made it happen.
A Career Built on "Borderline Illegal" Stunts
To understand the matt johnson director movies and tv shows catalog, you have to go back to the early stuff. This isn't a guy who went through the standard Hollywood pipeline.
- The Dirties (2013): This was the debut. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance. It’s a found-footage film about two high schoolers making a movie about bullies. It’s funny until it really, really isn't. It tackles school violence in a way that feels uncomfortably real because, well, the kids in the background didn't always know they were in a movie.
- Operation Avalanche (2016): This is where the legend of his "guerrilla" style really took off. Johnson and his crew actually went to NASA. They told the staff they were a student documentary crew. In reality, they were filming a conspiracy thriller about faking the moon landing.
He used "fair use" laws like a weapon. He filmed on the 2001: A Space Odyssey sets. He basically dared people to sue him. That fearless approach is exactly why his movies feel so alive. They have a texture that "safe" movies just can't replicate.
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What’s Next: The 2026 Slate
Right now, Johnson is in a weird spot. He's the "it" director, but he still acts like a student filmmaker.
Current Projects
Tony: This project is currently in post-production. It’s a departure from his usual mockumentary style but still carries that signature Zapruder Films DNA (the production company he runs with Matthew Miller).
The Pursuit and Trans Am: These are in development. There's a lot of talk about a "Parkour Project" and even a project involving the Marines.
Magic: The Gathering: Yeah, you read that right. There have been ongoing talks about him helming something in the MTG universe. It sounds crazy, but if anyone can make a card game feel like a high-stakes conspiracy, it’s the guy who made us care about a 2005 smartphone.
Why You Should Care
A lot of directors "sell out" after their first hit. Johnson did the opposite. He used his BlackBerry fame to go back and make a movie about a band that doesn't exist.
His work is about obsession. Whether it's Mike Lazaridis trying to save a company or Matt trying to get a banner on a building, it’s all about people who are too focused on one thing to realize the world is crashing down around them.
If you want to dive in, don't start with the biggest thing. Start with the TV show. Find the episodes where they try to get into the Santa Claus parade. You'll see the genius immediately.
What to do now:
If you're in Canada, find a screening of Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie before it leaves theaters this month. For everyone else, track down BlackBerry on VOD—specifically the "Director’s Cut" miniseries version if you can find it. It has about 15 minutes of extra footage that makes the corporate downfall feel even more like a slow-motion car crash.