“What if you woke up tomorrow and the Beatles never existed?” is the question posed by “Yesterday”. An entertaining and good-hearted tribute to one of the most popular music acts of all time.
Himesh Patel stars as Jack Malik, a struggling musician that is hit by a bus during a global freak accident and wakes up in a world where John, Paul, George, and Ringo weren’t a thing. He begins presenting their music as originals (even if he doesn’t know all of the lyrics), and watches the globe discover the greatness of their work for the first time as he reaches the superstardom he always dreamed of.
The plot takes a few twists and turns which I enjoyed (the Beatles weren’t the only thing wiped from existence) and the story really does have a kind message at it’s center.
Of course, the star is the music, which is rolled out nicely by director Danny Boyle, and the rest of the cast is stellar with the lovely Lily James, the hilarious Kate McKinnon, and even Ed Sheeran all making “Yesterday” a better movie.
It’s a little long, and the decisions made with the story won’t agree with everyone watching, but the film doesn’t allow you to get bored. If you’re a millenial that never discovered what the big deal was all about, then the movie might not be for you and the Rock Band Beatles version set might be a better starting point.
If you’re a Beatles fan like I am, you’ll enjoy “Yesterday” if nothing more than just a reminder of how great their music is and what it means to fans around the globe.
GRADE: B
Running time: 112 minutes
Rated: PG-13
