The Wasteland Reviewer

Saturday Night (2024) Written Review

What is your experience with Saturday Night Live? This show has been on television for decades at this point and has been such an impactful force in American pop culture. Lorne Michaels was a creative force and has brought together so much talent over the years to create some of the most lasting laughs on television. The manic nature and high energy approach to the show is ripe for conflict, drama, and comedy. It is no surprise that a studio would want to capture the mania of Saturday Night Live and Jason Reitman has stepped up to take those reins. 

What makes this such an engrossing cinematic experience? Saturday Night is a film shot in basically real time. This high concept idea leading up to launch time for the first ever episode has so much potential. Reitman leverages some impressive filmmaking techniques to make the most of this tense and thrilling set-up. The long tracking shots and takes make you feel like you are in it with everyone else desperately trying to get this show on the road. The sharp editing brings plenty of energy to the film as well, which is needed to keep that comedic energy up. There is a great look to the film as well with a vintage 70s New York feel and it is constantly filled with that smoky feel as well. One of the unsung elements of the film and its atmosphere is the score from Jon Batiste which is effortlessly cool but also captures plenty of tension. There is plenty of space tonally for buckets of laughs and there are even some good scenes of tension (like the stairwell scene) that bring plenty of drama into the story. 

Outside of being endlessly fun, high energy, and exciting, does Saturday Night provide some added depth to the proceedings? There are certainly thematic elements that Reitman is playing around with during this frantic race to their show’s start time. The whole focus of what Saturday Night Live represented is discussed throughout. Michaels saw a culture revolution in television’s hands and the likes of Willem Dafoe’s Dave Tebet and J.K. Simmons’ Milton Berle are the towering forces of traditional television and society that stand in the way of Michaels’ progress. This is clear and blunt throughout, but it does at least inform the audience of the importance of this show. Reitman crafts the story with multiple relationships in conflict and on display which adds layers outside of the logistical issues. Michaels unique dynamic with his wife Rosie Shuster makes for one of the more interesting ones. For an almost two-hour film, there are still so many elements in place that it is hard for a lot of depth to be fleshed out. Most of the male main players get some sort of arc or depth (sadly the women do not as much). 

What is the crowning achievement of Saturday Night? The insane ensemble that is put together for sure. Gabriel Labelle leads the way coming off The Fabelmans and Snack Shack. His turn as Michaels has plenty of energy even if he feels like he is lacking some of the weight of the character. Cooper Hoffman is fantastic as Michaels’ partner in crime, Dick Ebersol. Rachel Sennott does a great job of breathing life into Shuster’s character, and she feels like she is more than what is on the page. The real standouts are those portraying the male cast members. Cory Michael Smith stands out with a confident yet vulnerable performance as the resident star and asshole Chevy Chase. Dylan O’Brien disappears into the role of Dan Aykroyd (he channels his energy and personality so well). Matt Wood had a tall order to fill as John Belushi and captures his iconic persona well. Nicholas Braun pulls double duty as Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson and can capture their very different energy well. Even if they don’t get a lot of narrative depth, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner and Kim Matula as Jane Curtin stand out because of their impressive performances. Lamorne Morris, Matthew Rhys, Dafoe, Simmons, Tracey Letts, and so many more make the most of small roles as well.

Is Saturday Night a must-see comedy for this fall movie season? The film is certainly overstuffed, and the messaging is all too blunt. There are so many moving pieces that some incredibly talented performers will be lost along the way. But this film is just that funny and has some impressive filmmaking elements that makes this a thoroughly entertaining and engaging experience. This cast and Reitman bring so much life to this high tension, high tension, and hilarious film.