By John Corrado

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5th to 15th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

In his latest film Saturday Night, director Jason Reitman uses a massive and spot-on ensemble cast to meticulously recreate the frantic ninety minutes leading up to the first taping of Saturday Night Live on October 11th, 1975. The screenplay, which Reitman co-wrote with Ghostbusters: Afterlife collaborator Gil Kenan, entertainingly captures the pre-show jitters of producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle), as he tries to get his writers and cast of up-and-coming comic actors ready to go on the air, for the first taping of the live comedy show.

George Carlin (Matthew Rhys) is the special guest star and opening act, Jim Henson (Nicholas Braun, who also plays the great Andy Kaufman) is there to perform with his Muppets, and the musical act is Billy Preston (Jon Batiste). Meanwhile, NBC executive Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) is breathing down Lorne’s neck, trying to make sure the higher-ups at the network like David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), who are taking a chance even letting this thing go to air, are happy with the results.

At 109 minutes, Saturday Night unfolds in close to real time, as Lorne is left with more messes to clean up. Lorne’s wife, writer Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), is tasked with trying to keep John Belushi (Matt Wood) willing to go on air and sign his contract (and if he wears the bee costume it’s just a bonus). The cast also includes such comedy legends as Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith, doing a shockingly good impersonation), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), and Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt).

The 16mm cinematography by Reitman’s frequent collaborator Eric Steelberg adds a gritty feel to the film. Reitman aims to capture the backstage energy of a movie like Birdman through the use of long takes and extended scenes, with Steelberg’s camera weaving through the set’s corridors and carefully choreographed actors to capture snippets of action. It’s impressive how Reitman utilizes such a large ensemble cast, with a Robert Altman feel to how the film layers the sounds of the constant talking and chatter amongst them.

It helps that these iconic figures in the film are played by a great cast of modern stars who are given moments to shine, no matter how brief. This includes the inevitable fireworks between LaBelle and Hoffman, building upon the promise they showed in their respective breakout roles in The Fablemans and Licorice Pizza. It’s a lot of fun to watch, with high-energy moments, and a jazzy score by Jon Batiste that heightens the ticking clock feel as Reitman counts down to 11:30 PM on Saturday Night. Those final moments of his film are electric.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

Public Screenings: Tuesday, September 10th, 5:00 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre; Wednesday, September 11th, 3:00 PM at Princess of Wales; Friday, September 13th, 3:00 PM at Princess of Wales; Saturday, September 14th, 9:00 AM at Scotiabank Theatre