Vague Visages’ Saturday Night review contains minor spoilers. Jason Reitman’s 2024 movie features Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott and Cory Michael Smith. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews.

The high of going live, the thrills of comedic improvisation, the chaos of creative camaraderie — Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night pinpoints a specific energy that jumpstarted NBC’s iconic sketch comedy series, Saturday Night Live. Structured like a real-time Broadway production, the 2024 film chronicles the 90 minutes leading up to the series premiere on October 11, 1975, with creator/producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) stressing out over personal and professional obstacles. On a technical level, Saturday Night succeeds across the board; however; the countdown premise doesn’t allow for much character development, as Reitman and company seemingly expect the audience to connect the dots and fill in the blanks (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).

Numerous tracking shots function as a Studio 8H tour guide in Saturday Night. Reitman and cinematographer Eric Steelberg quite literally begin on the ground level as Michaels stands outside 30 Rock, worried about his colleagues showing up — both literally and figuratively — for a live primetime event, one that could potentially be a trap set by NBC executives, a way to hold financial leverage over the legendary host of The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson. Inside 30 Rock, Michaels glides from room to room, hoping to please his somewhat-estranged wife, Rosie (Rachel Sennott), an NBC standards executive (Catherine Curtin as Joan Carbunkle) and aloof cast members, such as Chevy Chase (Corey Michael Smith), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula) and Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun). Of course, there’s much more to consider for Michaels, whose overstuffed script needs to be trimmed by air time. Enter temperamental figures like host George Carlin (Matthew Rhys), writer Michael O’Donaghue (Tommy Dewey) and executive David Tebet (Willem Dafoe) — all of whom care little about playing nice while jumping through various creative hoops. Saturday Night doesn’t feature a traditional inciting incident but rather a series of theatre-like vignettes that inform viewers about the mindsets of each main player.

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Saturday Night’s score, composed by Grammy-winner Jon Batiste (who also plays musician Billy Preston), complements the aforementioned tracking shots. There’s a sense of urgency from scene to scene, with the fantastic production design/mise-en-scène providing plenty to process. Incomplete sets and crashing lights set the stage for a series of combative character conversations written by Reitman and co-scribe Gil Kenan. Early on, Michaels scoffs as the use of the word “skits” (he prefers “sketches”) — a small moment that underscores the underlying power struggles at 30 Rock while offering some insight to audiences. Saturday Night’s screenplay doesn’t mythologize the original “not ready for prime time players,” instead creating a balance between performance and production. Just as the talent pops off from the mouth, the camera operators and stage hands have plenty of issues to address with Michaels. Fortunately for viewers, Reitman maintains his momentum by avoiding extended sequences. And with the ebb and flow of it all, the editing by Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid becomes a crucial element, as Saturday Night mostly feels like a single-take production, even though it’s full of tight reaction shots.

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Beyond Saturday Night’s technical brilliance, a series of poignant character moments establish emotional depth. The aforementioned Hunt stands out as the late Gilda Radner, as she at once embodies the comedian’s spirit while floating across the set like she’s being guided by comedic energy. The English actress landed a coveted role in Kevin Costner’s 2024 film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 but receives more visibility in Saturday Night as the heart and soul of the main cast. For those familiar with Radner’s career trajectory and tragic death, a brief ice rink monologue featuring Hunt might lead to a few tears.

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As for the overall acting, Smith holds his own as Chase, particularly during a backstage scene in which the famously suave SNL cast member entertains investors alongside Michaels. But given the premise, the 109-minute duration and the sprawling cast, there’s not much time for Reitman to move beyond surface-level concepts to further explore character motivations. Yes, it’s fun to see Belushi cause trouble, but where does that rebellious spirit come from? The same applies to Aykroyd and Newman, who essentially take a back seat to figures like executive Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) and Neil Levy (Andrew Barth Feldman) — perhaps a way to maintain a performance vs. production balance. In a film like Saturday Night — which would work as a stage production — the power dynamics arguably matter more than the character arcs. So, what can the audience learn about Saturday Night Live’s production process in each scene?

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Saturday Night, a film that’s fundamentally about comedic timing and reading the room, punctuates each act with impressive editing. It’s a big exclamation point — an ode to the original cast and crew, a celebration of comedic camaraderie and the creative process. Reitman hooks the audience with familiar faces and a sense of urgency, only to step back for a rich snapshot of the bigger picture.

Saturday Night released digitally on November 12, 2024.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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