Whether you are, like me, still relatively new to the UK’s film festival scene or you’re a long-time festival fanatic, you’ll likely have heard of the London Film Festival’s ‘Surprise Film’.
★★★☆☆
As a part of its exciting, often overflowing events roster, the LFF Surprise Film screening is exactly what it sounds like. You purchase a ticket for a film with absolutely no idea what it is going to be, sit down, and pray that it’s going to be good. As one of the most anticipated screenings of the two-week Southbank stint, chatter concerning the reveal of the Surprise Film begins weeks before the festival gets underway. Rumours on social media are rife, with X’s film community taking turns to have their say on what they expect from the October reveal. Past screenings have gone on to be much-loved favourites: Lady Bird (2017), The Menu (2022), and A Chorus Line (1985), to name just three. The stakes are high.
After narrowly missing out on a ticket in 2022, this year I was determined to experience the Surprise Film for myself. After surviving the great war (an hour of suspense in the BFI’s online ticketing portal), I came out with what felt like Wonka’s golden ticket. Two tickets to LFF’s 2024 Surprise Film Screening. What a win!
Before we knew it, my partner and I were making the long trip down from Leeds. “It’s definitely that Robbie Williams biopic where he’s actually a monkey” he said, as we made the most of the three-hour-long journey by attempting to guess exactly what LFF had in store for us.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect or how to prepare. Would the film be announced before it began, or do I have to wait until the opening credits? Will we even be told the name of the film at all? Sat in our seats, nervously awaiting the dimming of the lights, the 2024 LFF hosts walked on stage to reveal our fate.
Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night is a fast-paced, excitement-filled fictional retelling of the ninety minutes leading up to the broadcast of the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL). On a rainy London evening, Reitman took us back to 1975, and the roots of one of the world’s most famous late-night entertainment shows.
Saturday Night could be considered a ‘riskier’ choice for LFF’s 2024 Surprise Film, due to SNL being lesser known in the UK. Despite this, anyone is sure to have engaged with it in some way, even if just through social media or popular culture references. Regardless of prior knowledge of the ins-and-outs of SNL, Saturday Night is an enjoyable and entertaining insight into one of the US’s most popular and long-running comedy sketch shows, a taste of the entertainment industry, and a showcase of iconic beginnings.
Yet it’s just that: a taste. Amongst the chaos, it’s difficult to truly connect with and understand each of Saturday Night’s different components, characters, and concepts. Attempting to get to know Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and his cast, all whilst trying to figure out what was actually going on, is an often confusing challenge.
The cast is strong: Dylan O’Brien’s Dan Akroyd is an enjoyable watch, feeling authentic and capturing a true ‘70s feel, and Nicholas Braun’s Jim Henson does garner some giggles, but as a whole the piece falls flat.
Whilst the concept of the hectic and nearly disastrous 90-minute run-up to the first broadcast is an exciting concept, the film lacks the requisite tension and upbeat suspense to truly make an impact. Saturday Night attempts to build up to witty, sharp, and fast-paced comedy moments, yet misses the mark in securing that final laugh.
The sense of urgency never makes its way through the screen; even the counting down of the minutes until broadcast doesn’t garner as much suspense for Saturday Night as it perhaps deserved, or had the potential to fulfil. As the broadcast draws closer, things on set begin to go very wrong. With the surrounding hubbub from the cast, this should have felt like a near-miss of show-altering tragedy. Yet, it doesn’t seem like there’s all that much to lose, making it increasingly difficult to feel truly immersed in the story. Despite Lorne Michaels’ desperation for the show to go ahead, we’re left to wonder why it’s all so important as the clock ticks closer to showtime.
Upon leaving the screening, we reflected on what felt like a very random two-character performance from Nicholas Braun, who plays both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson. Admitting that neither of us would have reached for the film if not for attending the Surprise Film screening, we agreed that it was an enjoyable opportunity to try something new, and indulge in a film that we perhaps would have missed otherwise.
Overall, Saturday Night is a pleasurable, cheesy, yet forgettable watch. The unfolding chaos doesn’t translate to the screen very effectively; the suspense and excitement of the evening was far more engaging than the film itself.
One thing is for certain; I’ll definitely be trying my hardest to grab one of London Film Festival’s most-wanted tickets again next year!
Words by Mia Stapleton
Saturday Night will be in UK cinemas from 31 January
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