Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Saturday Night.The 2024 film Saturday Night is an underrated film depicting the creation of one of the biggest television shows in history, and it’s now available on Netflix. Directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, this comedic biopic explores the making of Saturday Night Live‘s first episode in 1975. The film reimagines classic SNL moments while revealing many shocking secrets about the show’s troubled production in an exciting and unusual way.
While this big-budget movie explores the history of an iconic series with top-tier actors playing several of Saturday Night Live‘s original cast members, Saturday Night had been all but overlooked throughout its theatrical run. This was a shame, as the sly film received a 78% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer to become certified fresh. However, since 2024’s Saturday Night is now available to stream on Netflix, subscribers have the opportunity to see how such a popular and long-running show was born out of utter chaos.
Saturday Night Is Now Streaming On Netflix – What The Movie Is About
Saturday Night Recreates SNL’s Chaotic First Day
Clocking in at around 90 minutes, Saturday Night centers around a young Lorne Michaels as he struggles to get Saturday Night Live ready to air in the 90 minutes leading up to the show’s premiere. This wild film depicts SNL‘s cast members fighting each other, sets breaking down, skits getting cut, writers clashing with censors. Throughout it all, NBC executives threaten to shut down the show before it even began. Overall, Saturday Night shows just how miraculous it was that SNL made it to air at all.
Saturday Night turns Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels as the main character, with actor Gabriel LaBell playing the young producer. However, this ensemble film shines a spotlight on many of SNL‘s major players from the first season. With young actors portraying icons such as Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner, Saturday Night follows everyone behind the scenes as they try to figure out their place on the show while it is still finding its idenтιтy.
Why All Saturday Night Live Fans Should Watch Jason Reitman’s 2024 Comedy
Saturday Night sends its audience back in time to SNL‘s early days with a thrilling and humorous portrayal of its origins that aren’t so well-known. it depicts Lorne’s tumultuous relationships with the show’s cast and crew, his superiors, and his wife, Rosie Shuster. The film’s ensemble cast does incredibly well at impersonating SNL‘s original actors and the characters they played on the show. The film’s cast even gives stellar performances as other renowned celebrities, such as Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson, and George Carlin.
Since the film is supposed to be presented from the young Lorne’s point of view, Saturday Night effectively conveys the anxiety and pressure he feels producing such a large and chaotic show for the first time. With its fast pace, long takes, and rapid-fire dialogue, Saturday Night immerses its audience in the hectic world of show business, conveying how the making of SNL‘s debut was no laughing matter. The result is a surprisingly tense character study that also never stops being funny.
The film shows that no one, not even Lorne, knew what the show was supposed to be – a stark contrast to the comedic insтιтution that SNL is in the present day.
All in all, Saturday Night shows how SNL was very much an underdog in the world of television. Nobody knew how big SNL would become 50 years ago. The film shows that no one, not even Lorne, knew what the show was supposed to be — a stark contrast to the comedic insтιтution that SNL is in the present day. Saturday Night gives a thrilling and compelling presentation of how far Lorne and his team have come since SNL‘s first episode in 1975.
