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Title: Saturday Night
MPA Rating: R
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

What It Is: It’s 11:30 PM on Saturday, October 11th, 1975, and television is about to change forever. A group of young, hungry comedians are about to put on a live sketch comedy show unlike anything the world has seen before.

Here’s the thing, though—the network doesn’t want it to succeed. In fact, they don’t even want to air it. But knowing they have nothing to lose, they’re about to give the live audience—and viewers across America—the damnedest thing they’ve ever seen.

Now, 50 years later, that show is still going strong.

What We Think: This is my jam. This is exactly my type of comedy. I loved the jokes, and the casting is simply incredible. Jason Reitman is all the way back, my dudes.

For me, it’s been way too long (since 2018) since Reitman put out a truly great movie. The Front Runner was good, and Tully was even better. What I loved most about this film is how Reitman, alongside Gil Kenan, makes every cast member feel interesting and fully realized. These are— and in some cases, were— real people. The writing truly captures who they were, and the acting brings to life how they felt. It all comes together beautifully.

Our Grade: A, I was really bummed to miss this as a secret screening at Fantastic Fest, but I’m so glad I finally caught it. It’s easily in the running for my personal favorite film of 2024. It’s fun, funny, and an absolute blast at the movies.

You can feel the pressure weighing on every single member of the production, even though you already know the outcome—the show airs and is still running 50 years later. But despite that, the film is so well made that you still find yourself rooting for these young, funny people to get their shot on television.

Without a doubt, this is a film that deserves more recognition on year-end lists. It probably won’t get it—but it should.

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