Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Oz Rodriguez

From national television’s first ever rap group performance to an in-studio punk mosh pit to Lonely Island’s “Lazy Sunday” to that ripped up photo of the Pope, SNL has made a lot of musical history in its first 50 years — and nearly every second of it is showcased in this two-hour documentary from Questlove and co.

The movie talks us through SNL’s role in shaping the careers of artists like Adele, Nirvana, and Dua Lipa; introducing the nation to different styles and genres of music from bands like the B-52s and Captain Beefheart; and dominating the headlines after outrageous acts from Sinéad O’Connor or Rage Against the Machine.

Questlove says he watched every single episode of SNL while building this documentary, and that’s proven by the total range of time and genre covered. We see snippets of David Bowie’s iconic 1979 performance, hear from Bad Bunny & Billie Eilish, recent hosts that have played double duty (hosting and performing), get some behind-the-scenes insight into Ashlee Simpson’s infamous 2004 lip-synch fiasco, and meander down the path of SNL’s history with both one-hit wonders and the most legendary artists of the past half-century.

In short, we see it all (or at least all we can in two hours). Variety called it “selectively comprehensive,” the perfect descriptor.

Final thoughts

For SNL lovers, music fans, and history buffs alike, this doc is a must-watch.

But if you don’t have the time or (for some strange reason) interest to sit down for the entire thing, at least check out the opening montage. Your breath will catch. You’ll be blown away. You’ll start it over to watch it again and again. It’s beautifully pieced together with the careful hand and musical ear of a master-of-craft DJ — followed up by two hours of impressively attention-holding, delightfully exciting footage from some of the most important moments in modern music history.

There isn’t much more to say than “Go watch it!”

This movie is good.

My rating: 5/5