As it approaches its 50th anniversary next year, it’s worth recognizing that NBC’s sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live has undoubtedly left a defining mark on pop culture in more than a few ways. From an endless list of memorable skits to the iconic one-liners born within them, the seminal show started its journey on one night in 1975 — defying all obstacles put in its path to air live on television screens across the country. The beloved series was initially called “Saturday Night,” and the fact that its creator, Lorne Michaels, managed to convince NBC execs to house an absurd sketch comedy program run by a bunch of unhinged, amateur 20-somethings is a near miracle in and of itself. On that note, 2024’s Saturday Night is kind of a miracle in its own right.
Directed by Jason Reitman (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Juno), Saturday Night is a biographical comedy that recalls one of the most intense nights in TV history: the 1975 premiere of the titular comedy show. Set in NBC headquarters and taking place in a 90-minute window before the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live, Reitman and his co-writer Gil Kenan (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) attempt to capture all the hilarious madness that would change television forever. The audience follows an extremely stressed 30-year-old Lorne Michaels, portrayed by Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans), as he scurries around a maze of a studio, attempting to check all the boxes, account for his cast (half of whom are high as kites), and solve endless problems as they continuously explode on his lap. All the while, the clock ticks and ticks, reaching closer to the 11:30 pm showtime.
The cast ensemble of Saturday Night is as enormous as it is impressive, with a plethora of familiar faces to bombard the senses. Gabriel LaBelle’s Lorne Michaels clambers around the studio, running into actors who suddenly think his material is “below them” and others who are actively smoking weed on set to avoid the stress. Unfinished scripts are being waved his way as lights come crashing to the floor. At the same time, NBC advisor Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) breathes down his neck, assuring Michaels that NBC execs are waiting for him to fail. To add insult to injury, Michaels’ wife, Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), and cast member Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien) are actively flirting on the job. Oh, and John Belushi (Matt Wood) has decided that he’s had enough and flees set.
Gotham‘s Cory Michael Smith gives an uncanny portrayal of Chevy Chase as the rest of the cast accuses him of trying to steal the spotlight to become the new Johnny Carson. Recent Emmy-winner Lamorne Morris’ performance as Garrett Morris, who is famously known for being the first Black SNL cast member, is also worth noting as he tries to figure out just how he ended up in such a predicament. The all-seeing David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), the VP of Talent Relations for NBC, looms around as he looks for any excuse to shut the whole thing down. That’s not all, though! Saturday Night additionally features Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page, Ella Hunt as the radiant Gilda Radnor, J.K. Simmons as an intense Milton Berle, Matthew Rhys as the first SNL host George Carlin, Nicholas Braun as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, and a slew of other cameos.
Saturday Night’s cast is quite extensive, reflecting the titular sketch comedy show’s sizable lot accurately. However, such an immense ensemble is bound to lead to issues in building character and dividing screen time. Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan’s script simply does not give enough time to some of these iconic players, bar Lorne Michaels, of course. Unfortunately, the women of Saturday Night generally end up with the short end of the stick. Examples like Kim Matula’s Jane Curtin, Emily Fairn’s Laraine Newman, Kaia Gerber’s Jacqueline Carlin, and Ella Hunt’s Gilda Radner show their faces around and maybe have one memorable moment, and not much beyond that. These unique female voices are ultimately side pieces to the uplifted male characters like Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and even Billy Crystal’s small role, played by Nicholas Podany, and Nicholas Braun’s running bit as Muppets creator Jim Henson.
In addition to the screenplay’s imbalance in showcasing the main cast, the performances in Saturday Night also range from uncanny to serviceable, with more than a few portrayals coming off as pure caricatures. Gabriel LaBelle carries the film with grace, though is ultimately too young to pass as a 30-year-old Michaels convincingly. The always-funny Rachel Sennott (Bottoms) shines through the cigarette smoke and commotion with the most screen time out of the women in the cast. Cory Michael Smith performs perhaps the most impressive impression of them all, nailing Chevy Chase’s mannerisms and energy on top of already boasting an eerie resemblance to him. Lamorne Morris (New Girl) has a hilarious musical moment where he shines, but his portrayal of Garrett Morris fades away into the cacophony with most of the cast.
The film does have much to show for on the technical side, at least. Editors Shane Reid and Nathan Orloff keep things going at a speedy, unyielding pace and somehow make this wild story manageably coherent. Reitman’s frequent cinematographer, Eric Steelberg, keeps up with the ever-moving chaos with spry handheld movements that expertly weave the audience around smoking set lights, livestock, and gallons of fake blood that all torment the studio like some biblical plague. The incomparable jazz-R&B-classical savant Jon Batiste (who also cameos as Billy Preston) lends a befitting score to complement the utter mayhem. To top it off with the fact the movie is stunningly shot on 16mm film stock, it’s a simple fact that Saturday Night is a gorgeous mess to watch.
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is not perfect by any means, but there is still some undeniable fun to be had. In a way, the film does capture the essence of SNL, with its zaniness, unpredictable atmosphere, and jokes that land half the time and induce eye-rolls the other half. The mundane mimicry of a few fan-favorite skits doesn’t stick the landing as one might hope, yet the technical aspects and most of the cast pull their weight to uplift the lesser parts. There is an apparent lack of urgency throughout, as everyone knows the outcome of this 90-minute window. However, the stress and disarray on-screen make it easy to forget the aftermath and focus on the insanity at hand. There’s enough sharp wit and humor that will remind viewers why SNL has managed to thrive across the decades. If only these laughs had more thought put into them.
Saturday Night played at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. The film will be released in limited theaters on September 27 and will expand to a wide release on October 11!
Release Date: September 27, 2024.
Directed by Jason Reitman.
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman.
Produced by Jason Blumenfeld, Peter Rice, Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan.
Executive Producer: Erica Mills & JoAnn Perritano.
Main Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J.K. Simmons, Jon Batiste, Naomi McPherson, & Taylor Gray.
Cinematographer: Eric Steelberg.
Composer: Jon Batiste.
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures & Reitman/Kenan Productions.
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Runtime: 109 minutes.
Rated R.
