It’s rare for Ben O’Shea to admit disappointment when a movie ends, but Saturday Night is one of those exceptions.
The newly released movie retells the make-or-break final 90 minutes before Saturday Night Live went live for the very first time on October 11, 1975, at exactly 11.30pm.
The film’s ensemble cast is a tribute to the iconic troupe that brought SNL to life: Gabriel LaBelle steps in as Lorne Michaels, Dylan O’Brien plays Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith takes on Chevy Chase, Matt Wood embodies John Belushi, and Nicholas Braun transforms into both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson (lol yep, the Muppets appeared in early episodes).
“It’s good, very good,” our Ben noted, adding that the film’s high-stakes vibe “is intense, it’s hectic,” which backs director Jason Reitman recent comment that it’s “a thriller-comedy.”
Even for us Aussies who are unfamiliar with, or have never been particularly invested in SNL, Saturday Night is still a worthwhile deep dive into the making of a cultural phenomenon. “All this craziness actually happened,” Ben said, adding, “You don’t need to be a viewer of SNL to enjoy this.”
Catch full review here:
Check out the trailer here:
