Saturday Night
2024
**
Director: Jason Reitman
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
On October 11, 1975, NBC is about to premiere a new sketch comedy show. While the clock counts down to live broadcast, the show's producer Lorne Michaels must deal with backstage chaos and network hesitation. Jason Reitman's recreation of the 90 minutes leading up to the first Saturday Night Live is like a cross between Birdman and 30 Rock, except that this comedy is neither poignant nor funny. The camera flies back and forth backstage and John Batiste's percussive soundtrack beats restlessly in the background, just like in Birdman. However, rarely has such a frantic and hyperenergetic film been so boring to watch. There are no characters as such, just some mildly accurate impersonations of famous comedians, like Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Billy Crystal, and Andy Kaufman.
