SATURDAY NIGHT
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Woods, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J.K. Simmons
Director: Jason Reitman
ADRIANO
Plain and simple, I loved Saturday Night. I do think it wraps up a little too quickly, but director/co-writer Jason Reitman ups his game big time here with a surprisingly effective ticking-clock narrative, unique cinematography choices, a pulse-pounding score, and stress-inducing editing. On top of that, the movie's really funny, as well. With an ensemble that's completely committed, Saturday features laugh-a-minute dialogue that feels perfect with the figures that are represented. Lastly, at a crisp 109 minutes, the movie gets to do everything it wants to do, and it balances all the characters wonderfully. This movie simply rocks.
NICK
All credit to director Jason Reitman for even attempting to bring the mayhem of SNL‘s first episode to the big screen, a feat he accomplishes quite well. However, due to the subject’s nature, things get a little lost in the chaos. At times, you're left wondering who is who, or just getting caught up in the franticness of it all. It's a lot of moving pieces, and though Reitman does a good job wrangling them, it can come at the expense of the comedy. Saturday Night is a nice time capsule of the beginning of the legendary institution, but it doesn’t achieve greatness.
AMARÚ
Writer/director Jason Reitman starts Saturday Night with a chaotically energetic one-shot that probably only captures an ounce of the actual nervous spirit of pre-show SNL, which has to be why some of the variety show’s issues get solved slightly too easily by film’s end. However, that doesn’t take away from the utter entertainment Reitman and the amazing ensemble provide. Chaos propels the film forward, but it’s the moments of calm between storms that allow today’s up-and-coming actors playing against pitch-perfect veterans to embody legendary comedians without becoming imitations. Saturday Night is a blast from front to back, and I didn’t want the show to end.
PAIGE
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is a chaotic mess in the best way possible. The film effectively captures what the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live were presumably like with its frantic pacing, long tracking shots, and witty screenplay. Plus, the ensemble is hilarious, and all involved seem to be having a blast embodying their respective roles. Though the film does fall short in its character development by not giving everyone their moment to shine, all in all, it’s an entertaining movie from start to finish that most will enjoy, even if they aren’t SNL fans.
PRESTON
I don’t think you had to have been a huge fan of Saturday Night Live from the jump to enjoy Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, but the nostalgia of it all definitely adds to an already fantastic experience. Its intentionally ataxic composition can be disorienting, at times, which is (of course) the point. But, if you are not well aware of who the famous persons being portrayed actually are, then that can detract from the experience, as you are transported frantically from scene-to-scene and character-to-character. The whole cast’s performances are spot on and the comedic tone of the time is expertly reincarnated. Overall, a great time.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.