Longtime friends and collaborators, Jason Reitman (Juno, Tully, The Front Runner, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Gil Kenan (A Boy Called Christmas, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), reunite once more in this new biopic, charting the explosive birth of the iconic Saturday Night Live comedy program on the US TV network NBC.
Set in the frantic 90 minutes before the show’s inaugural episode aired, Saturday Night expertly captures the unpredictable, high-stakes nature of live television, weaving in biting humour, personal conflicts, and the birth of a cultural phenomenon.
Reitman and Kenan’s script balances tension and comedy, paying homage to the anarchic energy of SNL’s origins while offering insight into the fragile egos, narcotic excesses and volatile personalities that shaped its creation.
The film opens on October 11, 1975, with a visibly stressed Lorne Michaels, portrayed with nuance and gravitas by The Fabelmans star Gabriel LaBelle, entering NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza in preparation for the first show. Outside he is greeted by a stressed out NBC page (Stanger Things alum Finn Wolfhard) who’s having very little luck with getting any audience members interested in attending the live show. The narrative thrust of the movie is driven by mounting pressure, with Michaels facing a slew of mishaps, setbacks and dysfunctional interactions from his cast and crew.
LaBelle’s portrayal of Michaels is brilliant. He shows a man walking a tightrope between his visionary ambition and the absolute pandemonium surrounding him from the very start. His performance is complemented by Succession star Nicholas Braun’s standout role as eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman, whose surreal humour finds its first major public platform on SNL. Braun’s quirky, subtle embodiment of Kaufman brings to life his famous “Mighty Mouse” sketch, a pivotal moment in the film that reflects the show’s bizarre yet brilliant comedic tone. Eagle-eyed viewers might also spot Braun in a secondary role as legendary puppeteer Jim Henson.
Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner film series, American Assassin) delivers a strong performance as the mischievous and charismatic Dan Aykroyd. At the same time, Cory Michael Smith perfectly captures the cocky, self-assured persona of a young Chevy Chase, making his ego clashes with the crew particularly entertaining. Chase’s confrontational moment with comedy legend Milton Berle, brought in last minute by Tebet, is a particular highlight of the film.
Meanwhile John Belushi (Matt Wood), the rebel of the cast, remains detached and disgruntled and uncooperative throughout, picking fights, refusing to sign his contract and threatening to quit in a fit of rage.
At the heart of the film is the intense struggle between creative freedom and network oversight. The film expertly depicts the writers’ war with the censors, particularly Joan Carbuncle (Catherine Curtin), who clashes with the show’s team over content.
With pitch-perfect performances, a tight script, and an expertly paced narrative, Saturday Night brilliantly encapsulates the chaos, innovation, and raw talent that fuelled the launch of SNL. It’s a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain, one that reminds audiences how close they came to never experiencing this ground-breaking show at all. Reitman and Kenan have have truly knocked this one out of the park. It’s stressful, chaotic, but also deliciously entertaining.
