SATURDAY NIGHT

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

RATING: 5 out of 5

SATURDAY NIGHT is the cinematic comedic event of the year as Jason Reitman captures the chaos leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live with a thrilling film full of uncontrollable laughter and outstanding performances that makes it one of the year’s best films.

Live from the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s Saturday Night! Saturday Night Live is one of the longest running network television programs and has helped foster the talent of stars like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Colin Jost and Martin Short, while taking comedic aim at popular culture, politics, and world events in its sketch comedy routines. The show has become a weekly ritual for many who will tune in for laughter and the live musical performances every week, showcasing some of the brightest young minds in comedy while highlighting celebrity guest hosts and music artists. It’s become a television tradition that continues to capture the world’s attention, and it was only a matter of time before it got a big screen adaptation. With casting announced earlier this year and shot during the spring, Jason Reitman returns to the Toronto International Film Festival with his most entertaining film to date, armed with a stellar cast featuring Gabrielle LaBelle, Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith and many more stars, delivering a true comedic tour de force as he recreates the laughter, chaos and tension present in Studio 8H in the moments leading up to the first ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live.

Told in almost real time, Reitman and Gil Kenan’s screenplay takes the audience through the ninety minutes leading up to the first ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live, delivering what can only be described as a comedic thriller. With warring actors, calculating studio executives, censors reviewing the script for the series (which results in one of the most unforgettable jokes of the film), and mishappenings on set that is displayed in the film, it’s incredible that Saturday Night Live ever made it to air and became the cultural phenomenon it is today, as everything was working against its success. Following around a young Lorne Michaels, audiences are immersed in the chaos and comedic energies of the sound stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, with the screenplay capturing not only the comedic stylings of the famous television series and its many stars who appeared on the first episode, but the business of television and studio perspective who see series as a profit making vehicle rather than a creative statement. Woven in throughout are easter eggs to some of the most notable sketches on Saturday Night Live that long time fans of the series will pick up on and enjoy, while the plethora of hilarious one liners ensure that movie theatres around the world will be erupting into laughter when the film opens. Like a ticking time bomb, Reitman and Kenan guide the audience alongside Michaels through the madness in the minutes leading up to the first episode, delivering non-stop laughter but also some beautiful character moments that displays the heart and vision of Michaels and his cast and the suspense builds in viewers as to whether Michaels will be able to pull off his vision or not.

Given the many talents that have appeared on Saturday Night Live, it is only fitting that SATURDAY NIGHT has a stellar ensemble cast to bring to life the famous individuals who have displayed their talents on the television series. LaBelle stars as a young Lorne Michaels, instantly capturing the optimistic and creative young mind who dreamed up this one of a kind television series that defied television standards of the 1970s. Guided by artistic integrity and Michael’s vision, LaBelle grounds the audience amidst all the chaos of the film and gives a terrific lead performance as he tackles another legend of the entertainment industry after portraying a young Steven Spielberg in 2022’s The Fabelmans. Sennott is excellent as Rosie Shuster, Michaels’ wife and co-writer for the show, and while she has some solid comedic moments that audiences will expect from such a talented comedic actress, she is the voice of reason for LaBelle’s Michaels and becomes a calming presence in an otherwise intentionally chaotic film. Cooper Hoffman shines as Dick Ebersol, the young NBC employee trying to wrangle Michaels and his cast, delivering a tender performance as one of the few individuals actually championing Michaels and his creative vision. Though, the scene stealer of the entire film is Tommy Dewey as writer Michael O’Donoghue with his straight shooting delivery of some of the film’s most outrageous jokes with a determination that no one is going to stop his jokes from being on air. Every second Dewey appears on screen, you know you are in for a great laugh, but it is his scene with the censor attempting to sanitize his jokes in which he turns the tables on her results in not only one of the best laughs of the film, but one of the funniest scenes of the entire year.

Transforming on screen as two comedy legends are O’Brien and Smith as Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase respectively. Each of them are comedic whizzes in the role as Smith captures the frat boy energy and egotistical Chase, while O’Brien’s nails the mannerisms and attitude of Aykroyd. Pulling double duty is Nicholas Braun as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, excelling in both roles. As Kaufman, Braun is a dead ringer with a high pitched voice and a sweet awkwardness as he gets himself lost all over 30 Rockefeller Plaza, while the kindness and earthly wisdom he brings to Jim Henson is endearing as the entire cast mocks him and his Muppets wanting to turn his iconic creations into sex puppets. Portraying an iconic actor with such a unique persona like John Belushi is no easy task, but breakout star Matt Wood more than excels capturing Belushi’s signature comedic energy and delivering a truly beautiful moment in the film’s third act. And the star power in the cast continues with the likes of Lamorne Morris, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, Andrew Barth Feldman, Finn Wolfhard, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Batiste, all appearing and joining the chaos and fun of SATURDAY NIGHT. Reitman has truly assembled what is one of the best ensemble casts of the year that is bursting with talent and a comedic spark that lights up the screen every second of the film.

Supplementing the talented cast and great screenplay from Reitman is the production design of the film, recreating Studio 8H on the eve of October 11, 1975. The set design and decoration brings to life a soundstage with a live audience setting, allowing the film to quickly move between small sets as the actors would filming Saturday Night Live; while the costume design captures all the fashion stylings of the time era and iconic looks of Saturday Night Live from Kaufman’s turtleneck and suit, Aykroyd’s short shorts and tank top, and the togas from the unforgettable toga party sketch. Fueling the entire film is Batiste’s musical score, which unleashes a jazz infused soundscape on the viewers. Batiste captures the creative energies present on set as well as the intensity with a score that propels the entire film and emulates the chaos of the events leading up to the first broadcast, resulting in one of the more notable musical scores of the year. 

With the fiftieth season of Saturday Night Live about to begin later this month, and with rumours of Lorne Michaels looking at a successor to take over the running of the late night comedy show, SATURDAY NIGHT is coming out at a perfect time to celebrate the origins of this iconic television series. Under the careful guidance of Jason Reitman, there is not a single minute of SATURDAY NIGHT that does not capture the comedic talents of the stars of the first ever episode nor the forces at work against Lorne Michaels as he was on the verge of changing television forever. Featuring one of the best ensemble casts of the year with remarkable performances from Dylan O’Brien, Cory Michael Smith and a scene stealing Tommy Dewey, SATURDAY NIGHT not only captures the essence of the infamous late night television show and ever mounting stakes working against Lorne Michaels to bring the show to air, but creates one of the most thrilling and hilarious motion pictures of the year!