After Saturday Night’s World Premiere, Critics Can’t Stop Talking About The Cast Portraying SNL’s OG Legends

Remarkably, there is such a wealth of pure gold comic situations inherent in this idea that Saturday Night becomes an even better movie than all of the comedies that were spawned by the talent honed on SNL (many produced by Michaels himself). Before its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Saturday night (of course), Reitman said his two dreams were to be a director and to write on SNL. Here he has merged both with a treasure trove of material that has been hiding in plain sight over the past half century but now has been turned into the funniest film of 2024, no easy trick since making a movie about making comedy is full of landmines. This crew doesn’t step on any of them.

The movie would not fly without an ensemble that may end up being legendary in its own right. We’re not sure how close LaBelle’s take to the real Michaels is, but he masterfully carries the film in what is, essentially, his first leading role. Shockingly, O’Brien is simply transformative as Akroyd. An eye-opening turn based on his previous work. Chase might have been a notorious a**hole, but Smith makes sure he’s likable enough, so you believe he’d become a star. Ella Hunt brings out the creative joy that made Gilda Radner beloved, Kim Matula conveys the obvious, that Jane Curtin was always one of the smartest people in the room, and Emily Fairn paints a portrait of Laraine Newman in a mostly non-verbal performance that teases a multitude of storylines.

For me, this isn’t so much a nostalgic choice but rather a smart move by a curious, attentive admirer of the iconic show and knowledge of understanding that you can’t just throw around a bunch of jokes and call it SNL, you have to do like what Michaels says; you have to feel it. This type of attention to detail has been missing in his film for some time, and through his passion and personal connection to the comedy world, he has given us his best work since Up in the Air and a movie worthy of being a part of the celebration taking place later this year as the greatest comedic show of all time turns fifty years old.

[Jason] Reitman may be turning this backstage drama into a slobs-vs.-snobs comedy just like his dear old dad Ivan Reitman (co-writer of Animal House, director of Meatballs, Stripes, and Ghostbusters) used to make. But he’s also penning a gushing love letter to a hallowed institution, shot in 16mm and dressed up in Seventies cosplay. Saturday Night Live has long swooned over its own self-mythology, and Saturday Night is happy to add to that back-patting as the show’s golden anniversary approaches. Chaos and narcotics, raw talent and perseverance, Michaels’ stamina and the surprising luck of it all somehow led to the cameras capturing sheer anarchy loosed upon the world at 11:30 p.m. At least the secondhand high Reitman hotboxes you with is extremely potent.

We go into the movie with high expectations, but only some of them are realized. The cast works hard and brings off some antic moments, but too many of the riffs fall flat. Maybe there is an excess of characters for a 90- or 95-minute movie, or maybe it is impossible to sustain the irreverent humor that the show itself sometimes struggled to maintain. Those who remember the excitement of SNL‘s early years will want to catch up with this revolutionary moment in TV history, but younger viewers may not find enough here to tickle or tantalize.