While the Venice Film Festival typically dominates the limelight, the Telluride Film Festival managed to capture some of that attention with the debut of Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night.” This film, which was shot using handheld 16mm cameras, offers a unique and intimate glimpse into the frenzied 90 minutes leading up to the live broadcast of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11th, 1975.

Jason Reitman, along with actor Bill Murray, attended the screening, which received a warm reception from festival-goers. The film employs a cinéma vérité style to authentically portray the chaotic atmosphere as cast and crew scramble to prepare for airtime. The narrative centers around producer Lorne Michaels, played by Gabriel LaBelle, as he navigates through a whirlwind of egos, lunacy, and self-doubt to get the show functional enough for broadcast.

Critics have noted that the film takes some creative liberties, altering timelines and events to amplify drama and chaos. Despite this, “Saturday Night” has garnered significant praise, although it has not been without its detractors.

Here are some highlights from the reviews:

Matt Neglia from Letterboxd calls it “One of Jason Reitman’s best films! Perfectly captures the chaotic energy, camaraderie & backstage shenanigans of putting together the first SNL in real-time. Crisp editing, long takes, a witty script with big laughs and a talented, hilarious ensemble who are having a ton of fun through the noise & uncertainty.”

Peter DeBruge from Variety mentions, “Miraculously, Reitman and casting director John Papsidera pull it off, such that everyone reflects the singular energy of their characters. You might not cast them in the biopic of any one individual, but as an ensemble, they’re terrific.”

Greg Ellwood from The Playlist adds, “Jason Reitman and his cast generate significant tension over the fate of this program. That may not be as funny as you’d expect, but it sure is thrilling.”

Will Mavity from Next Best Picture states, “Sometimes, it feels like a cop-out to say a movie is just ‘fun’ and nothing more, but that is precisely the case here. ‘Saturday Night’ is a funny and well-acted piece of entertainment, best enjoyed on a Saturday night.”

Bilge Ebiri from Vulture notes, “There’s enough genuinely crazy lore around Saturday Night Live’s first episode that it probably didn’t need all this extra semi-fictional material….’Saturday Night’ might not be factually accurate, but it feels spiritually true.”

Stephen Farber from THR critiques, “We go into the movie with high expectations, but only some of them are realized. The cast works hard and brings off some antic moments, but too many of the riffs fall flat.”

David Ehrlich from Indiewire comments, “Forget in-jokes or fan service; this is a movie so long on cos-play (much of it brilliant) and short on character development (none of it interesting) that it requires a casual knowledge of the show’s lore to understand, let alone to enjoy.”

David Fear from Rolling Stone concludes, “Saturday Night Live has long swooned over its own self-mythology, and ‘Saturday Night’ is happy to add to that backpatting as the show’s golden anniversary approaches… At least the second-hand high Reitman hotboxes you with is extremely potent.”

“Saturday Night” will officially premiere in cinemas on October 11th.