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Critics’ Reactions to Telluride World Premiere
When a studio world premieres a movie at Telluride to kick off its chances during awards season, they have to ensure they’ve got the goods. Sony certainly did just that with its launch of Jason Reitman’s all-star Saturday Night, capturing the 90-minute agita experienced by SNL producer Lorne Michaels before the show’s first broadcast in the fall of 1975.
Reitman is known for his unique auteur style, a filmmaker who has consistently done things his own way. Saturday Night is shot in 16MM, cinema verité style. While he’s celebrated for Oscar-winning hits like Juno and Up in the Air, he’s also had niche misfires, such as The Front Runner, Labor Day, and Tully.
But with Saturday Night, Reitman appears to be back in form, according to several critics and awards season pundits who praised it at Telluride. The film will make its international premiere at TIFF on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Deadline’s Awards Editor and Chief Film Critic Pete Hammond lauded Reitman’s casting choices, which included 80 speaking roles. Gabriel LaBelle portrays Michaels, Dyan O’Brien plays Dan Aykroyd, Willem Dafoe takes on the role of NBC exec David Tebet, Cory Michael Smith embodies Chevy Chase, Lamorne Morris is Garrett Morris, Matt Wood plays John Belushi, and Nicholas Braun from Succession portrays both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman.
Hammond describes Saturday Night as “a masterful movie comedy firing on all cylinders” and adds that it’s also “a suspense thriller too.” He praises Reitman’s ability to steer the ambitious project, calling it one of the greatest movies about show business that he has ever seen.
Vulture critic Bilge Ebiri called the film intriguing but acknowledged the creative liberties taken to heighten the drama. He commented that while Saturday Night might not be factually accurate, it feels spiritually true. Ebiri appreciated LaBelle’s portrayal of Michaels, noting his perfect “deer-in-the-headlights anti-charisma.”
Variety Senior Awards Editor Clayton Davis adds, “Saturday Night sizzles for 96 minutes. The script by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan crackles with laughs and one-line zingers. The cast pops, with standout performances by Gabrielle LaBelle, Tommy Dewey, and Lamorne Morris. A best picture-worthy premiere has entered the chat. Loved.”
Sasha Stone from Awards Daily beams, “Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is a return to form for the director and might even be his best film. It’s certainly on par with Up in the Air and Thank You for Smoking. It really hits its stride in the last act and soars.”
KTLA’s Scott Mantz enthusiastically exclaimed, “LIVE from #TELLURIDE, it’s SATURDAY NIGHT & it’s AMAZING! Really fun, hilarious, adrenaline-fueled, mood-setting, fly-on-the-wall look at the last 90 chaotic minutes leading up to the very first episode of SNL! EXCELLENT ensemble cast! One of director JASON REITMAN’S very BEST!”
Sony continues to believe in keeping adult non-tentpole movies alive, asserting that there’s still demand for these films on the big screen despite the rise of streaming. Pre-Covid, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women became an awards season event, earning $108.1M. More recently, the romance drama It Ends With Us featuring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has managed to gross close to $136M and counting.
Last summer, Sony targeted awards season with the GameStop David vs. Goliath film about everyday traders against Wall Street institutions. However, due to the actors strike, it was challenging to give the film a proper profile during its TIFF world premiere, leading to a modest $14M gross.
This year, that issue is not present with Saturday Night. The movie hits theaters on Oct. 11, the same date as the first-ever broadcast of SNL in 1975. SNL will celebrate its 50th anniversary on NBC in 2025.
Source: Deadline, Vulture, Variety, Awards Daily, KTLA
