“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
I truly think the new movie, Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman was made specifically for me. Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened in the 90 minutes leading up to the first ever airing of the iconic show Saturday Night Live, a live comedy sketch show. The movie takes place on October 11, 1975, and follows some of the most iconic comedians to come out of SNL: Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi to name a few. What’s so intriguing about Saturday Night is that it gives a glimpse into these iconic comedians before their big breaks and how they were able to handle the chaotic environment of creating a live comedy sketch show. The film premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival and recently screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival where reviews have been extremely positive. I am simply counting down the days to the premiere and wanted to unpack all the reasons why I can’t wait to watch this movie.
I love SNL, I absolutely love it. I have spent more hours than I’d like to admit watching funny sketch compilations on YouTube. I am so fascinated by the schedule the writers, costume designers, set builders, and everyone in between keep to create a seamless and hilarious show surrounded by a new celebrity host every week. I have watched documentaries before on how the SNL cast and crew get the job done every week, but I’ve never really thought about how it came to be until now. I can still remember seeing the announcement on Twitter that a new movie was being made about SNL’s first-ever show. I was ecstatic. My level of excitement grew even more when I learned that it would be directed by Jason Reitman, a well-known director and producer best known for directing Juno. Although I was already completely sold on this movie, the news that broke on January 30th, 2024 reassured me that this was probably going to be my favorite movie to ever exist.
I can still remember my jaw dropping when I heard the news that Dylan O’Brien (aka my favorite actor ever) was joining the cast playing Dan Aykroyd. Dylan O’Brien has had a successful career, starring in my favorite guilty pleasure show, Teen Wolf as the loveable Stiles Stilinski and taking on the heroine of the popular Maze Runner movie series. As of late, however, I have missed not only seeing Dylan on the big screen but also witnessing his raw and underrated talent. Dan Aykroyd when asked by Entertainment Network about his thoughts on Dylan O’Brien playing him in Saturday Night commented, “I’m just glad the young actor got work.” And you know what, I couldn’t agree more. Dylan just has this “it” factor about him and a perfect sense of comedic timing which makes him the perfect fit for this role. Dylan’s role in this movie has also brought along many iconic interview moments on the press tour that I’ve watched far too many times to be healthy.
The press tour for Saturday Night has just fueled my excitement for the movie even more, which I didn’t think was even possible. Rachel Sennott, playing the creator of SNL’s ex-wife, Rosie Shuster, has brought her iconic spirit to the press tour. Her banter with Dylan O’Brien has given me life and I cannot wait to see their character’s dynamics on screen. Rachel, similarly, to Dylan, has such star quality and she’s truly a comedic genius. She is best known for writing and starring in the 2023’s Bottoms (one of my favorites of last year) and the Shiva Baby. I can’t wait to see Rachel’s dynamic with the leading man, actor Gabrielle LaBelle, who is playing a young Lorne Michaels, the mind behind SNL. Gabrielle LaBelle is fresh off an Oscar nomination for his role in portraying a young Stephen Spielberg in The Fabelmans so I have the utmost faith in his talent that he will be able to nail the enigma that is Lorne Michaels. What makes this movie so exciting to me is the powerhouse of the cast with other additions including Nicholaus Braun, Finn Wolfhard, Lamorne Morris, Willem Dafoe, JK Simmons, Kaia Gerber, and Andrew Barth Feldman to name a few.
Besides the incredible ensemble cast, I am enamored by the cinematography, costuming, and hair and makeup already highlighted within the trailer. Due to the immersive camera work and a keen eye for detail, the trailer makes you feel as if you were with the comedians on that chaotic and groundbreaking night. I absolutely believe that this movie is going to be jam-packed full of anxiety and comedy, an explosive combination, especially with a cast as talented as this one. I can guarantee that I will be sat on October 11th in the theater when this movie drops and I can’t wait to make this movie into my entire personality.