Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” (2024) is a hysterical film about the behind-the-scenes making of the premiere of America’s favorite late-night sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.”
The film features the many celebrities who created the blueprint for successful comedians today. However, the protagonist is Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle).
Michaels is the creator of “Saturday Night Live.” LaBelle’s portrayal makes him the only sane, non-narcissistic person in the studio. There is no moment in the film where a person is not chirping in his ear about an issue they have with the sketches or some technical problem.
Michaels is a man who only wants his show to succeed and to prove to other television outlets late night television is not just for talk show hosts like Johnny Carson. LaBelle plays Michaels perfectly with his sense of urgency and always keeps an optimistic attitude no matter how many things go wrong.
The casting is the film’s star; every performer embodies the character they are playing well enough that they can easily be mistaken as the real person they portray.
Besides LaBelle, the four other actors who steal the show with their performances are Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi and Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd.
In a meta way, the film is about young people with little to no experience trying to make it in the entertainment industry. Of course, this happened in real life back in 1975 and in the film as the actors furthered their careers and made themselves well-known.
“Saturday Night” does a good job of placing viewers in Michaels’ shoes. The film’s ticking clock element adds a lot of tension regarding whether or not everything and everyone will be in place once it’s 11:30 p.m. and the cameras start rolling.
The film’s aesthetic and visuals are beautiful. It captures the essence of the mid-1970s with how people acted with each other and their reactions to certain things, such as religion or political standpoints. The costume design, makeup, hair and cinematography brought the audience to New York City in 1975.
Two surprising roles are Willem Dafoe as Dave Tebet and J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle. These two have the fewest amount of screen time compared to their younger co-stars, but they both made sure to bring their A-game.
Dafoe and Simmons play intimidating characters for different reasons. Tebet wants to see Michaels and his crew crash and burn. Berle represents a time in television history when it was all about him and nobody like Chase could rise to his level of popularity. Even though their roles are small, Dafoe and Simmons are still amazing.
Similar to the Safdie brothers’ “Good Time” (2017) and “Uncut Gems” (2019), the film creates a chaotic atmosphere where it seems like every corner someone takes only leads to more chaos. Characters are yelling, having fights and breaking things, and it makes for a film that should be on more people’s radars.
“Saturday Night” is a solid film featuring wonderful performances from a cast of actors and actresses who are looking to be the next generation of stars moviegoers will see in future projects. It is currently playing in theaters.
Rating: 3.5/5
