User reviews

I'm 26 years old and I've never really been a Beatles fan before. I knew who they were and how they are the greatest band of all time, but I never actually sat down and listened to their songs. Recently, while going through some personal hardships, I started listening to some of their songs and holy s***, I was blown away. So then I started going down the Beatles rabbit hole, watching interviews with them, reading news and of course listening to more of their music. I lost my younger cousin last year, he was only 20 years old, may he rest in peace. We grew up together and we were essentially brothers. And so reading about John Lennon made me feel the same way I did after losing my cousin. And then I heard about this movie. Having no real expectations, I watched it. This movie is a nice feel good movie. No crazy plot, no crazy action, just a simple premise with decent execution that gets the job done. That's all it really is. But to me, it felt almost like therapy. I felt some part of myself healing after watching this movie, so to me it feels special. I would recommend.

After being subjected to a number of films documenting the lives of musicians - most notably "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Rocketman" and "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story" - it is truly a pleasure to be presented with a film that sheds light on the work and life of an artist while not adhering to the strict (though desirable) biographical approach. That is exactly what makes the piece so marvellous; I came out of the cinema with a greater appreciation of The Beatles, and their music, through a fictional story that did not feature the four men we are familiar with at all. Quite often the film achieved my admiration for the band without me consciously noticing.

On another level, the film made a satire of the modern music industry. It revealed how the apparent "solo" artists are far from their titles; with huge teams of people pushing them in a preferred, and more commercial, creative direction, taking the musicians' creative power. This was done in a humorous light (as most themes are presented in the film). The romantic aspect of the film is evident from the beginning and is a dominant aspect of the story, possibly shifting the focus of the piece a little too much. However, it still helps provides a satisfying ending.

The film pays a great amount of respect in a fresh way while cleverly interweaving other conflicts.

Movies like Yesterday aren't meant to challenge our intellect or keep us on the edge of our seats. They're mean to entertain without strain, and tap into our sense of feelgood and nostalgia.

That's exactly what Yesterday does, and it does it very well. The acting is spot on, the characters relatable, and the humorous moments well placed and paced.

The fabulous songs of the Beatles don't hurt either. Watch through the credits for the full version of "Hey Jude"

Don't judge Yesterday by the same yardstick as Endgame or Get Out and you might thoroughly enjoy it as I did

There were three main reasons really in seeing 'Yesterday'. The alternative world scenario sounded truly fascinating, one of the most fascinating concepts in recent years to me and a refreshing change from the remakes and sequels constantly made today. Like to love a lot of Danny Boyle's previous films and find him a talented director. The Beatles are not all time favourites but do appreciate him highly, understand their influence in music and like a lot of their songs a lot.

While it could have done more with its concept, 'Yesterday' turned out to still be entertaining and charming that put me and my sister in an uplifting mood leaving the cinema. Had not had an easy day, or week even, up to seeing the film, so 'Yesterday' was a much needed and appreciated antidote. As far as films released in 2019 go, it is neither one of the best or worst in a hit and miss year and somewhere around solid middle if having to rank.

'Yesterday' is a slick looking film, not exemplary but never cheap. Lily James looks great and the camera clearly loves her. The music of course is fantastic, it is The Beatles after all, with some of their greatest hits exuberantly performed, making one want to sing along regardless of whether they know all the words or not. "Hey Jude" is one of the most memorable examples. The script balances amusing comedy and never over-sentimental drama without making it too cartoonish or mawkish (well mostly).

Story-wise, 'Yesterday' captures the feel-good spirit affectionately and the portrayal of the music industry was fun and didn't get over the top. The John Lennon bit is a highlight. Boyle has done better and more inspired direction, but still directs at a crisp pace and balances things quite well. The performances are good, a truly charming James coming off best. Himesh Patel has come on a long way since 'EastEnders' while Kate McKinnon is riotous in the manager role.

On the other viewpoint, the concept was so fascinating and while it is always engaging the story is predictable and a bit too ordinary. Especially the final third, which is pretty much exactly as one would expect.

Ed Sheeran's "extended cameo" for my tastes was rather puzzling and didn't seem to gel with everything else.

All that aside, it was an enjoyable film on the whole and worth seeing. 7/10

I went into this wondering if they were going to explain the whole premise with it being a dream or such? Was he going to get caught and crucified for it? Was he going to get the girl, lose the girl? So many movies are fixated on realism and difficulties and negativity. Yes, he faces several difficulties. But, the movie is light and beautiful with fantastic music. If I want realism, I watch a documentary. This is what I go to the movies for. Really well done!

Beatles fans will enjoy this more than those who are not familiar with the music and history of The Beatles. Including a love story to add extra 'feel-good' moments in between bouts of great singing from both real world artists and actors alike.

There are a few standout characters that bring alot of flair to the dry English humour and a great Beatles song during the credits that make me want a theatre just to listen to music in!

If you are a Beatles fan or even if you just enjoy one or two of their songs-don't miss this movie. Its a beautiful tribute to the Beatles & received the approval of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono & Olivia Harrison. That tells you something right there. It's sweet, funny & bittersweet. Ed Sheeran is amazing-sweet & befuddled as he tries to figure out how Jack writes masterpiece after masterpiece. I can assure you that you'll be smiling at the end of the movie and finding your Beatles music wherever it is. I laughed, I cried, and I remembered my beautiful John Lennon . I can assure you that you will be smiling at the end You might also be dancing. Love, Love, Love.

I enjoyed this because I didn't think too much. If this were science fiction, which in some ways it was, and the Beatles never existed, how would so many things that were their legacy have developed. The British invasion would never have happened without them and a culture that expanded decades would never have taken place. But we can put that aside because the film tells us that the Beatles did not exist. Not that the four persons did not exist, but the band itself. I loved the bit with John Lennon where Mark David Chapman never came into his life. Anyway, it is a sappy love story in many ways, but the music is fun and the challenges of the protagonist are quite real in that milieu. I have been a huge fan of the Beatles from the get-go and if given a piece of paper and a pencil, could write the titles of a couple hundred songs. But to remember the lyrics, especially to a level of creative expertise, would be astonishing. Every once in a while something comes along that is just fun--no more criticism.

To cut a long story short, with a film directed by Danny Boyle and based on a legendary band such as The Beatles, I was expecting significantly better, although the movie is definitely not bad. The love story between Jack Malik and Ellie Appleton is excellently interpreted by Himesh Patel and the gorgeous Lily James, while Kate McKinnon vervely interprets a sickening impresario. But the movie is globally disappointing with a certain flatness and a script suffering from a blatant lack of originality: the « Twilight Zone » effect has been seen again and again so many times. In fact, by being slightly in bad faith, the film Yesterday (2019) can almost be reduced to the Beatles songs. I am fully aware of the exaggeration, but allow me to moan and groan: I'm slightly disappointed with such a banal rom com about The Beatles, a stuff of legend across all periods of time.

Great premise, but the whole thing fell apart about halfway through when it turned into a trite love story.

Great idea, great actors, but the script could be better. Instead of making it a fun and adventurous movie, we ended up with exaggerated sweet romantic soap opera situation, that made me want to turn it off.

Among other things, specifically The Beatles would be strange, only of course if you were one of the very few who had prior knowledge of them. An interesting concept caused by a blackout phenomenon that is never explained; which is fine, as the goal is not to describe why, just what it would be like.

The music is fantastic obviously, and huge kudos to Himesh Patel for doing all his own singing. The movie is generally a feel good flick with an underlying love story. There's nothing else that is really spectacular about it, so to me this was a good movie made by one of the more creative filmmakers out there.

My favourite scene has to be near the end when our main character meets with that one specific musical icon in his old age. Makes one think how differently things in the world could be depending on some people's life choices.

A film full of The Beatles songs cannot really go wrong.

Danny Boyle has made a whimsical fantasy. What if we live in a world where The Beatles did not happen. John, Paul, George and Ringo never amounted to much because they never got together.

Gosh it would mean somebody else narrated those early episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a struggling singer in a small seaside town who is going nowhere. About to call it quits the only person who believed in him is best friend from school, Ellie (Lily James.)

One night when all the lights go out throughout the world, Jack is involved in a bus accident and wakes up in a world where no one have heard of the pop group The Beatles or their songs.

Jack writes the songs from memory and wows the audience with Hey Jude, Back in the USSR, Here Comes the Sun, Yesterday and Let it Be. These songs find an audience for the first time.

Unfortunately Richard Curtis's screenplay takes some interesting ideas and then diverts its attention to a soppy and unnecessary romance.

This is a rom-com. Jack and Ellie have only ever had a platonic relationship so far. All through childhood, to those teenage years when their hormones were raging to the present day.

Jack it seems has never had a girlfriend and has never romanced Ellie, the woman who has always believed in him. Suddenly Jack realises he needs Ellie when she has found someone else.

I would like to have known more about this world that had no Coca Cola, cigarettes and Oasis. The joke about Oasis was funny, a band so influenced by The Beatles, they could never exist if the Fab Four had never happened.

Then again without The Beatles there would had been no Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles and Brian Wilson would not have strived so hard to create Pet Sounds. Some young filmmaker called Robert Zemeckis would never had made a movie called 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand.'

It does raise another issue, The Beatles were more than just the songwriting. It was also the music, the harmonies, how they sang and the production by George Martin.

Some ideas are explored such as the music industry sanitising the product they want to sell. The White Album has diversity issues according to a marketing executive. However Curtis goes for the default romance story in the second half which lets it down.

Refreshingly original and entertaining. The story flows and the characters are relatable and well developed. Not what I expected from the trailer but I liked it better than what I expected. So nice to see someone take a chance on an original story.

The aspirant singer Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is struggling to be a great musician with the support of his agent Ellie Appleton (Lily James) and his closer friends. However he is a failure and needs to work in a supermarket to survive. One day there is a blackout and Jack has an accident while riding his bicycle. When he recovers, Ellie gives a new guitar to him and Jack plays "Yesterday". Soon he realizes that the world does not know "The Beatles" and he plays and sings their songs becoming the best musician in the world with a greedy agent. But can he afford the price he has to pay for the stolen success?

"Yesterday" is a delightful fantasy with the story of a world without "The Beatles", coke, cigarettes, USSR and Harry Potter. It is hard to understand Jack´s final decision, but the romantic story is a fantasy so it is very reasonable the conclusion. The sweet Lily James steals the film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Yesterday"

Saw it at my cinema in Lovran, Croatia just a few hours ago, so it's still pretty "fresh" while I'm writing this. The whole idea is great, haven't seen those yet in mainstream cinema. The plot is pretty much straight-forward, with likeable characters, great music (of course) and when the movie was over, it left me with good feeling and a smile on my face still singing Hey Jude.

All actors are really good, but Lily James is so adorable in this movie! She shines in her character and steals every scene she is in. Liked her the most (obviously).

Take your girlfriend/boyfriend/friends/family to see this rom-com fantasy music comedy in cinema on a big screen, and even if you won't like the movie, you will sing Beatles songs after and feel good about it (guaranteed)!