Score: 3/5
Creating a suspenseful film out of SNL’s well-known success may have worked for fans, but will likely prove ineffective with wider audiences.
Directed by Jason Reitman, Saturday Night depicts the 90 minutes of chaos leading up to Saturday Night Live’s debut episode in 1975. The ensemble cast includes actors playing Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Rosie Schuster (Rachel Sennott), Garrett Morris (Larmorne Morris) and Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith).
The film immerses audiences in the frantic atmosphere of a live television set, using several long takes to whisk the viewer through chaotic hallways behind the scenes. It moves in real-time, with title cards displaying a clock counting down the 90 minutes before airtime. As a viewer, you’d hardly guess the film is adhering to a timer. In the span of ten minutes between title cards, the story travels between multiple conflicts; a set could be destroyed and rebuilt in this timeline.
The film’s heart is its cast who all disappear into their roles. An apparent standout from the bunch is Smith as Chevy Chase. He captures the cadence and delivery of Chase’s comedy with ease, radiating charisma. Matt Wood is another comedic standout as he fully commits to a hot-headed portrayal of John Balushi.
Unfortunately, the film suffers from a few lulls that weaken its impact. Not even a countdown to airtime could remove the empty space in several scenes. For instance, some moments feel repetitive as the characters list off all the things that are going wrong over and over. It’s not hard to see through the glamorous ‘70s costume design to spot the repeated formulas the plot uses in an attempt to generate conflict.
Towards the film’s tail end, the energy given off by the story and characters becomes increasingly self-absorbed and isolating for the audience. When the shock of a lighting rig collapsing or costume rack flying into a wall has worn off, it’s hard to flinch at the curveballs thrown.
Perhaps this is also impacted by the film’s challenge of making a chaotic thriller out of one of American television’s greatest success stories. Any doubt about the film’s conflict resolution is immediately quenched by the knowledge that Saturday Night Live is a longstanding, active show whose sketch comedy format has stood the test of time. When Lorne Michaels enters a cigarette-smoke-filled room of NBC executives all saying, “give it up, kid,” you, as an audience member in 2024, can’t help but shrug.
Furthermore, the performances, while all-around good, capture the mythos of SNL’s iconic founding comedians and not the depth of their ambitions. It’s a delight for viewers who are fans of the show’s history and can point out references, but for anyone else it risks feeling like a ripple and not a wave of impact.
Although aimless at times, it’s hard not to love the spirit of creative minds working at breakneck speeds to realize a vision. The set coordination between actors and drawn-out scenes hammer home the joy and stress of backstage chaos. It may be a bit hollow at times, struggling to fill in the blanks with new punchlines, but you’re ultimately left with an appreciation for the team effort that went into SNL’s fruition.
All in all, it’s fair to say Saturday Night is a bona fide love letter to fans of SNL and will very likely hit the mark for people who identify as such. It encapsulates the vibes and legend of the show’s inception, even at the expense of some plot and character depth. It’s enjoyable, visually pleasing, at times funny, often aimless and potentially obnoxious, but always full of heart.