Saturday Night is the story of the birth of an iconic cultural staple. The frenetic editing and whippy cinematography worked together perfectly to give the Jason Reitman film its kinetic and propulsive feeling. Anything can happen on Saturday night in New York City, and Saturday Night is bringing that feeling right into theaters for all of us to witness.

On October 11th at 11:30 pm, Saturday night as we know it changed. A chaotic combination of comedians and staff led by a young and determined Lorne Michaels graced our television screens for the first time. Flash forward to fifty seasons later, and Saturday Night Live is still going strong. But it was no easy guarantee. The 90 minutes before showtime were nothing short of insanity. Michaels struggled with locking in a script, comedians with egos as large as the Empire State Building, and relationship issues with his wife/co-worker Rosie Shuster. While everyone knows everything ended up alright, Saturday Night shows us just how close it came to never existing. 

Saturday Night was directed by Jason Reitman, which he co-write with Gil Kenan. The film features an insanely talented cast of Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Cory Michael Smith, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Ella Hunt, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Kim Matula, Lamorne Morris, and Willem Dafoe. Two things are for sure: the future of acting in Hollywood is in great hands, and Dafoe has never been bad in anything.

Although there were a million issues alongside tons of drama, the main problem plaguing young Lorne Michaels was the pressure to play the dress rehearsal tape instead of going live, which would be an admission of failure. The face of this pressure was Dafoe as Dave Tebet, the NBC executive most wanting Michaels to fail despite his seemingly kind conversations. The only reason the executives even agreed to give Saturday Night Live a chance was due to issues between the studio and Johnny Carson. The sketch-comedy show was a boundary-pushing risk for which only Michaels could see the vision. 

One of the coolest things about Saturday Night is that it exists in (approximately) real-time. The runtime is 109 minutes (including credits). It is no easy task to do a real-time narrative. Coordinating the script with the directorial vision must be difficult. Although Reitman, being both the writer and director, helped bridge the gap. Unfortunately, what is so unique about Saturday Night also holds it back. Due to the compressed runtime, the movie does not get a chance to go in-depth with any of the characters, especially Lorne Michaels. He is a legend in the industry. My knowledge of him is slightly better, but it is still nowhere I would like it to be. Who is this man at the crux of it all? What does Saturday Night Live mean to him, other than the fact he wants to prove the NBC executives wrong? Lorne Michaels has influenced comedy perhaps more than any other person in the last half-century, yet he remains an enigmatic figure. 

In lieu of character depth, the main thematic question asked throughout Saturday Night is “What is the show?” LaBelle gets to answer that very question in a fabulous little monologue to Dafoe. While I love the examination of the identity of Saturday Night Live, it still is not as central to the story as it should be. Reitman is much more interested in having fun recreating that night than taking a deeper look at its characters. 

Despite certain issues with the screenplay, there is so much to love about it. Every character had such a specific voice and attitude. As someone who knew practically nothing about comedians in 1975 or SNL’s behind-the-scenes workers, I was able to gain a quick snapshot into their personalities. The theater laughed raucously as the group practiced sketches, flirted with each other, and threw temper tantrums. There was much to enjoy, especially for those with knowledge of SNL history. It never really hurt my experience of watching the film, but I think if I had a clue of all the ins and outs of culture at the time, it would have knocked it up another level and heightened the experience even more. All that being said, it was still a great time! Not to simplify, but fun is the best adjective to describe how watching Saturday Night felt. 

There are so many things about Saturday Night that are spectacular. First and foremost, it is safe to say that the ensemble is the best part of the film. The cast on its own makes it worth buying a ticket. A couple of my surprise favorites were Andrew Barth Feldman and Cooper Hoffman. Feldman played Neil Levy, Lorne’s goofy, magic-loving cousin who has his own giggle-inducing sequence as he tries to accomplish a task before the show begins. And Hoffman, despite being merely 21 years old, plays an exhausted and stressed-out adult man just trying to get through the night like nobody’s business. He is right in the pocket. He could be easily overlooked with all the big flashy performances, but he still shines through. 

Jon Batiste’s score is phenomenal. It kept me on the edge of my seat and helped ramp up the tension. Also, he got to have a small role in the film, which was delightful to see. The score was recorded live on set, yet it sounded perfect. Hats off to Batiste and the sound team! The frenetic editing and whippy cinematography worked together perfectly to give Saturday Night its kinetic and propulsive feeling. And to wrap it up, the production design is brilliant. I felt like I was dropped in the 1970s without it feeling like a caricature of the period. The SNL sketch recreations looked awesome, as did the dressing room and the control room. Every little detail down to the last sheet of paper on the wall was planned out. 

Saturday Night is the story of the birth of an iconic cultural staple. It is a sensation overload that will keep your heart fluttering and your stomach churning. Although it may lack the depth to take the film from good to great, there is still much to embrace with his ferocious flick. Anything can happen on Saturday night in New York City, and Saturday Night is bringing that feeling right into theaters for all of us to witness.

Grade: A-

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: Best Original Screenplay
Should be Considered: Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Production Design

Where to Watch: In Theaters