Yesterday: When the World Forgot the Fab Four, But One Guy Didn’t
Imagine a world where The Beatles never existed. Now, imagine a provincial town in the 60s where four high school teenagers are on the brink of graduation, and all they care about is The Beatles. Spoiler alert: they’re not alone in this obsession. This is the whimsical premise of Yesterday, a film that takes us on a ride through the delightful absurdity of fame, nostalgia, and the occasional existential crisis.
Our protagonist, Jack Malik, is a struggling musician (or as his friends would say, “a guy who plays guitar in his mom’s garage”). After a freak accident involving a bus and a power outage that seems to have been orchestrated by a cosmic music critic, Jack wakes up to discover that he is the only person on Earth who remembers The Beatles. Now, one might ask, “What would I do in such a situation?” Well, if you’re Jack, you decide to steal their songs and become an overnight sensation. Because who needs originality when you can just borrow from the best?
As Jack begins to perform Beatles hits as if they were his own – a crime against music history that would make even a time-traveling Paul McCartney cringe – he skyrockets to fame. He becomes a global superstar, and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to sing “Hey Jude” to thousands of screaming fans instead of to his cat, which, by the way, is not impressed? Yet, amidst all this success, Jack is faced with the philosophical dilemma of authenticity. Is he a true artist if he’s merely a glorified cover band? Spoiler: Yes, but only if he has great hair and a nice jacket.
Meanwhile, his childhood friend and not-so-secret crush, Ellie, played by the effervescent Lily James, is there to support him. She encourages him, even as she realizes that Jack’s meteoric rise might mean he’ll forget about her. Because nothing says “I love you” like performing “Let It Be” on a world tour while your best friend pines away in the shadows. This leads to a series of heartwarming yet cringe-worthy moments where Jack must choose between fame and love. Spoiler alert: he takes the scenic route, which includes a lot of awkward moments and a few too many bewildered expressions.
The film’s climax is where the philosophical humor reaches its peak. Jack is faced with a choice: keep riding the wave of fame or come clean about his thievery of musical genius. In a moment that feels like a bad rom-com twist, he decides that honesty is the best policy. After all, it’s not every day you get to tell the world that you’ve been lying about the greatest band in history. What could go wrong? Cue the collective gasps from audiences everywhere.
In the end, Jack realizes that true love and friendship are worth more than fame, which is a lovely message but also a bit annoying because we were all rooting for him to at least get a cameo from Ringo Starr. The film wraps up with a bittersweet note, leaving us contemplating the true meaning of success and whether or not we’d actually want to live in a world without The Beatles. Spoiler: most of us would rather live in a world with them, but hey, it’s a fun ride while it lasts!
So, if you’re looking for a film that combines humor, a dash of philosophy, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane (with a side of existential dread), Yesterday is your go-to. Just remember to appreciate the music, the love, and the fact that sometimes, it’s okay to let others take the spotlight – just as long as you can steal their songs in the meantime!