My Review of 'Yesterday' (2019)

This movie provides a nice break from the usual noirish fare I tend to write about.

Image via Movie Nation.

The story revolves around a guy named Jack, a struggling musician who’s thinking of packing the whole music thing in, but is urged to keep at it by his childhood friend/manager, Ellie. Then, after a (completely unexplained) global blackout, Jack is hit by a bus. And he doesn’t die (I guess), but he does regain consciousness in an alternate universe (created magically or somehow) in which The Beatles were never discovered. But, Jack (also magically) still knows their songs.

Image via Showbiz 411.

So, he sings the song “Yesterday” for his friends, because … just because. And they think he’s brilliant, because they’ve never heard of The Beatles like everyone else in the alternate universe. (Or dream. Or afterlife.) Or so it would seem.

Naturally, Jack starts taking the time to write down all that Beatle music no one else knows about. And he performs it and goes from struggling artist to “overnight success”. Which, of course, attracts the attention of an ambitious American manager. (Did I mention that Jack is British? Well, now you know.) But there’s always a price to pay for going that route.

I’ll say no more, because I would hate to spoil the film. But I will say that this is a great movie for anyone who’s at all fatigued with the state of the world these days.

It has a cute romance, great music (which cost them a pretty penny to the tune of $10 million (est.), according to this article), and makes for an intriguing (if slightly sketchy) fantasy.

Image via MovieWeb.

Himesh Patel plays Jack with a suitably awkward air. He also reportedly sang and played the instruments himself. Very cool. The relationships with his girlfriend/manager and family make for fun viewing, as they all react in various ways to Jack’s oddly-inspired musicianship.

The movie also has a rather bittersweet moment or two. An appearance by … nope! No spoilers!

As musical rom-coms go, I’d say 4 and a half stars is about right.

It’s also a must-see for Beatles fans. Or anyone who really loves rock n’ roll.

And, whatever you do, don’t miss the very unique and entertaining end credits!