THE FEEL-GOOD FILM THAT IMAGINES A WORLD WITHOUT THE BEATLES — VIEWERS CALL IT A “BEAUTIFUL” TWO HOURS
If you’re looking for a feel-good movie with romance, comedy and a huge dose of nostalgia, Yesterday offers a premise that is almost impossible for music fans to resist.
Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Richard Curtis, the 2019 romantic comedy follows struggling musician Jack Malik, played by Himesh Patel, who wakes up after an accident to discover something bizarre: he appears to be the only person in the world who remembers The Beatles.
Suddenly, songs such as Hey Jude, Let It Be and Yesterday are completely unknown to everyone around him.
Jack realizes what has happened and begins performing the legendary songs as if they were his own. His career explodes almost overnight, taking him from an unknown musician to international superstardom.
But as the fame grows, so does the uncomfortable truth behind his success.
A BEATLES FILM WITH A VERY DIFFERENT TWIST
What makes Yesterday unusual is that it isn’t simply a movie packed with Beatles songs.
The entire story asks viewers to imagine what music history would look like if The Beatles had never existed.
Jack becomes famous for songs that changed the world — yet nobody knows the band that originally created them. His biggest problem isn’t writing the songs. It’s deciding how far he is willing to go while accepting credit for somebody else’s genius.
The film reportedly paid around $10 million for the rights to use The Beatles’ music, making the soundtrack one of its biggest attractions.
And the gamble paid off.
The movie grossed approximately $154.6 million worldwide against a reported $26 million budget.
THE CAST MAKES IT EVEN MORE FUN
Patel leads the film alongside Lily James, Joel Fry and Kate McKinnon, while Ed Sheeran appears as himself and James Corden also makes an appearance.
The combination of British humor, romance and some of the most recognizable songs ever written helped the movie win over audiences beyond hardcore Beatles fans.
One viewer described it as an unexpectedly uplifting experience, while another said it was a film that could even introduce people unfamiliar with The Beatles to their music.
And one particularly enthusiastic reaction called it a “genuinely delightful” and original movie, praising the performances and emotional moments.
THE PERFECT MOVIE FOR AN “OFF DAY”
That’s perhaps the biggest appeal of Yesterday.
It doesn’t require viewers to know every detail about The Beatles. At its heart, it’s a story about music, ambition, love and realizing that fame isn’t necessarily the same thing as happiness.
Jack gets the dream most struggling musicians could only imagine — instant recognition, packed stadiums and global fame.
But the more successful he becomes, the more complicated his life gets.
And eventually, he has to confront a question far more important than whether he can become a superstar:
What is success worth if you can’t share it with the people you love?
With its alternate-reality premise, iconic music and star-studded British cast, Yesterday remains an easy choice for anyone wanting something light, nostalgic and genuinely uplifting.
Yesterday is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer and is also airing on BBC Three tonight at 11:20pm.
