Movie: Yesterday
My Rating: 3 stars
This movie is light, and fun, and completely without conflict. And I can’t lie, that’s exactly what I was looking for when I sat down to watch this one. Because I just haven’t been in the mood for anything really heavy lately—no movies about people making bad choices, or about aggressive competition. And, this movie satisfied my criteria beautifully. It’s a story about a guy, Jack Malik, who wakes up one day to discover that many big items or events in pop culture have magically never happened. But, he remembers them all. In this case, he discovers that the Beatles were never a thing. So, he does what anyone would do, and sets out to perform and record all the famous Beatles songs, and claim them as his own.
I was avoiding this movie at first. I thought there was definitely going to be an uncomfortable streak running through it where some people knew he was a fraud, and were constantly threatening to expose him. I imagined a very cringe-worthy final confrontation scene with fingers being pointed and accusations being thrown. But, my dad assured me that this movie was a delight, so I took that on faith and watched the film. And as it turns out, I didn’t need to worry, because as I mentioned above, this movie has no conflict. It’s just a story about a small-time musician rocketing to fame and fortune courtesy of the whole Beatles back catalog. Of course, he does feel a bit guilty about the whole thing. People keep telling our protagonist that he’s a total genius, and he does suffer some pangs of conscience. And, the film does manufacture a bit of romantic tension. But, that’s hardly conflict. I can live with a little regret. And, the movie really is just an excuse to sing along to all the most famous Beatles songs, and fantasize about being in the same position. So, this is definitely a must for any kind of Beatles fan out there.
This movie is fun and frothy. It’s not the most complex or compelling storyline. But, it’s a really fun idea. And, it’s well-executed and has its fair share of humor (mostly courtesy of Kate McKinnon—she’s the best). This film is definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for something light. And really, who isn’t these days?