Yesterday focuses on a struggling singer-songwriter named Jack Malick, played by Himesh Patel, whose only support is from his manager Ellie, played by Lily James. During a global blackout, he is hit by a bus and wakes up to a world where everyone but him forgets The Beatles, and all of their songs have been erased from history. Jack seizes the opportunity by recording a few of their songs and releasing them as his own. He’s soon contacted by pop star Ed Sheeran to serve as his opening act on tour, which leads to Jack becoming the next global sensation.
This jukebox musical is written by Richard Curtis, best known for romantic comedies such as Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. All of Curtis’ movies are very sweet in tone and feel awfully familiar, following many of the tropes that come with a romantic comedy. Yesterday is very much in that same vein, following many beats that have been done all too many times, including a major subplot that revolves around a romance between Jack and Ellie that’s been festering for years before the events of this film. It doesn’t take too long to pick up on the direction certain parts of this film is heading towards, and it’s easy to predict where it’ll wind up.
So it’s kind of odd that of all people to direct this film, it’s Danny Boyle, the once-experimental filmmaker known for more genre fare such as Sunshine and 28 Days Later. While Boyle has directed multiple films centered around human drama, such as Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, there’s still more of a complexity in each of those storylines, as well as several scenes that feel distinctly like they were shot by Boyle. Yesterday only contains a few brief shots that contain Boyle’s unique style, as well as some fun scene transitions, and otherwise feels more like Curtis’ movie rather than Boyle’s.
Which is odd, considering the bizarre premise of the film, this could have gone into some truly crazy territory. The Beatles were pop culture sensations, and while there’s a really funny running gag involving other staples of pop culture that have been forgotten as a result of the accident, the film doesn’t really truly take advantage of how the world truly is different without their influence. While it may be a bit too dark, there were those who misconstrued the Beatles’ message and used them to do some truly heinous stuff, so it would have been intriguing to see how the world would have been without some of the negative aspects of their influence played out.
Additionally, the film never really explains how this accident was truly caused, nor does it really care much to explain some of the ramifications of this accident. And even when it does start to touch upon the subject, it doesn’t fully take advantage of its unique situation. There’s a subplot involving two other mysterious individuals who also seem to remember the Beatles and are constantly revisited throughout the film. They don’t say anything at all and there’s a build up as if they’re going to reveal something truly mind-bending once they finally do speak. However, once the film decides to bring them fully into the fold, the result winds up being very anticlimactic and squanders a wasted opportunity, especially given it could have put Boyle’s directorial skills to some great use.
While Yesterday mostly plays it safe, it does at least manage to have a lot of fun staying within its comfort zone. One of the film’s biggest strengths is the fact that it is very funny. And that is thanks in part by the efforts of the cast, in particular the supporting cast. Much of the actors here are all naturals in comedic timing and are an absolute blast to watch each time they’re on screen. Joel Fry as Jack’s friend Rocky is in particular the biggest scene-stealer, with his laid-back zingers and one-liners providing a bulk of the film’s comedic relief. Two actors who also should have been in the film much more are Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syel as Jack’s parents, who are well-meaning, but oblivious to the many times they unintentionally infuriate their son. It’s a very sitcom-like style of humor, but both actors grace the screen with such charm that it’s hard not to smile.
Kate McKinnon is also another big scene-stealer, bringing with her the same confident, commanding energy that’s made her a blast to watch in Saturday Night Live and the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters. Yesterday is probably her first film role in which she’s allowed to truly shine, with a fast-paced energy that provides plenty of big laughs and keeps the pace of the film moving quick. Also surprisingly a lot of fun is Ed Sheeran as himself. While many of his scenes are filled more with awkward exchanges that are played of laughs, Sheeran proves that he actually has some solid comedic timing, and manages to have a lot of fun each time he’s on screen.
At the heart of this movie though is Himesh Patel and Lily James as the two leads. While they both play characters that have very familiar storylines and go through struggles that have been constantly played out before, it’s both actors’ charms that really help drive this movie forward. This is Patel’s feature debut and he absolutely crushes it here. His facial expressions are a big part of why Jack is so likable, as it’s clear he really struggles with each decision he makes. He never feels like he’s going through the motions and nothing feels clear cut to him, so it allows him to feel relatable.
Patel and James have some really great chemistry with one another, and it’s easy to believe them as best friends. While James doesn’t exactly have all the strongest material to work with, being given some lines that often feel very cheesy, she delivers them with such conviction that it’s forgivable at times just how generic they can be. And while her character does follow some pretty standard beats of a romantic comedy, she at least confidently handles the material through her delivery, making it feel a lot stronger.
Though the laughs are big and the performances are strong, the moments where this film truly does shine are in its musical sequences. Like many films recently that have been recreating well-known hits on the big screen, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, Yesterday has a lot of fun rerecording so many of the Beatles’ hits for this film. There are some fun musical montages that show characters just goofing off and having a good time singing the songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” while there are other moments where some of the more serious songs are played for laughs, like Jack trying to have his parents hear “Let it Be” for the first time.
The movie does a great job using the Beatles’ songs to help elicit certain emotions from the audience. And what makes these songs so great to hear is its delivery. In addition to being a great actor, Patel is also a fantastic singer, and his renditions of many Beatles classics are another big part of why this movie works so well. And the way in which certain songs are weaved into the storyline to help convey certain tones is wonderfully done, that it rarely feels like the movie just threw in a song just for the sake of hearing it. Almost every song used or referenced feels crucial to the plot and really helps drive home certain emotional cues without coming off as feeling manipulative.
Yesterday may not fully take advantage of its truly unique premise, but it still manages to have some fun with what it has to work with. While the story often stays in familiar territory, it’s still a joy to watch, thanks to its big laughs, strong performances, and musical sequences that are an all-out blast. A movie that knows what it is and runs with it to some delightful results, Yesterday is the feel good hit of the summer.
Recommendation: Watch It
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