Nimrods is a fictional road-trip comedy inspired by Green Day’s early years rather than a conventional biopic, concert film or documentary. It follows three teenage musicians from Kansas City who travel to Los Angeles after mistakenly believing they will open for Green Day, drawing on the band’s own stories of mishaps, touring and searching for belonging. The film matters because it offers a nostalgic, fan-focused portrayal of the experiences and attitudes that shaped the band.

Green Day members appear in the film, provide much of its soundtrack, and hold producing and story credits; it is due in cinemas on 14 August. Drummer Tré Cool said the band wanted a fresh narrative project rather than another concert film or a retrospective documentary, while Billie Joe Armstrong connected with the characters’ working-class restlessness and desire for adventure. He recalled Green Day’s formative tours, when they borrowed equipment, played squats and slept on people’s floors.