A film about the creation of Saturday Night Live seems incredibly indulgent on paper. Still, in the hands of a filmmaker like Jason Reitman, whose father had such a connection to people from SNL, we could rely on it at least being sincere. While Saturday Night is certainly an exercise in style over substance, it is well-made and well-performed enough to win viewers over.
Saturday Night Review
Saturday Night takes audiences behind the scenes of the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live, recorded on October 11, 1975, as creator Lorne Michaels struggles to make sure everything in the soon-to-be legendary sketch comedy show goes off without a hitch. The movie’s conceit is that it plays out in real time, following the final hour and a half before the show goes live, creating an incredibly immersive experience.
Because of its real-time structure, Saturday Night turns into something resembling a race-against-the-clock thriller. Even though we all know how the conflict turns out — the show makes it to air and becomes one of the most influential institutions in all of comedy history — Reitman does a great job of establishing the stakes and making us feel like the show could genuinely fail even though we know it won’t.
A big part of this is the excellent filmmaking with which the film was shot. Eric Steelberg’s 16mm cinematography feels very retro, the costuming and production design do a great job of immersing viewers in the era, and the editing has a kinetic and manic quality that lends the movie an urgency. However, the MVP is Jon Batiste, whose jazzy score is instrumental in pushing the film’s pacing along.
With such a massive ensemble, one would almost fear that narrative threads would get lost in the mix, but Saturday Night’s script flows seamlessly between the storylines of the creators and performers. In a way, it feels like it is not the individual members of the SNL team and cast that are the characters but the show itself.
Granted, the movie does focus primarily on creator Lorne Michaels, which makes sense because there needs to be a central figure tying together all of these hectic plot elements — much as Michaels did and does in real life. Gabriel LaBelle (who burst onto the scene playing a stand-in for young Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans) plays Michaels, and his performance is excellent. While most of the rest of the roles call for impersonations of famous people we all know, Michaels is well-known, but there are fewer expectations when it comes to mannerisms. Because of this, LaBelle gets the opportunity to make the role his own.
Still, the rest of the cast does very well with their imitations. Dylan O’Brien (Dan Aykroyd), Lamorne Morris (Garrett Morris), Ella Hunt (Gilda Radner), Cory Michael Smith (Chevy Chase), Matt Wood (John Belushi), Matthew Rhys (George Carlin), and especially Nicholas Braun (playing a dual role of Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman) are all great. And in terms of behind-the-scenes players, Willem Dafoe, Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, and J.K. Simmons have fun moments too.
However, the one thing about Saturday Night that holds it back is that it doesn’t feel like it has anything to say. This is not a commentary on counterculture or a testament to artistic innovation in the face of opposition. Reitman and his co-writer Gil Kenan were content with making a movie that was simply a tribute to one of the greatest nights in comedy history, filled with nostalgia for the early days of SNL and the people who made it happen.
Is Saturday Night worth watching?
Yet, despite it being incredibly shallow, it’s hard to dismiss Saturday Night because it is such a well-made film. Reitman’s filmmaking style is tense, Kenan and Reitman’s script is consistently funny, and the ensemble is completely on the wavelength of channeling this era and these people. So, if you’re willing to look at the movie as pure entertainment fodder, you will be satisfied.
Saturday Night is playing at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 5-14.
Saturday Night TIFF Review — SNL Origin Story is Hectic, Entertaining, and Thrilling
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night doesn’t have much substance, but it’s well-made and entertaining enough to justify its nostalgia trip. With a pitch-perfect ensemble and a sharp script, Saturday Night is a fun ride.
