Late Night (2019)

Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video

Movie Name/Year: Late Night (2019)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Length:  102 minutes

Rating: R

Production/Distribution: 30West, Imperative Entertainment, Stage 6 Films, Amazon Studios, 3 Arts Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment, Kaling International, 20th Century Fox, ARP Sélection, Entertainment One UK, Entertainment One, Falcon, Amazon Prime Video, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Netflix, Nova Cinema, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, Universal Pictures

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Writer: Mindy Kaling

Actors: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Denis O'Hare, Max Casella, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan, Ike Barinholtz, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Paul Walter Hauser, Bill Maher

Blurb from IMDb: A late night talk show host suspects that she may soon lose her long-running show.

Cat’s Point of View:

I was excited that Late Night was our movie for today. It’s been a rough week and a comedy was just what the doctor ordered. In hindsight, I wish I’d put this movie a little higher on my Top 20 list for June 2019, but it was amusing that both Selina and I had this film as our #16 spot.

If asked for a comparison, I’d say Late Night is similar to The Devil Wears Prada (2006) but set in the late talk-show industry rather than fashion. This film touches on a lot of similar themes, yet at the same time is wildly different and more up-to-date.

Mindy Kaling (License to Wed, No Strings Attached, Inside Out) hit another home run with this movie. Her talent for both writing and performing comedy is pretty astounding. I was invested in her character rather quickly and everything flowed so well. I barely noticed the passing of time as the film progressed.

The rest of the cast is also pretty amazing. I am loving Dame Emma Thompson (Burnt, Beauty and the Beast, The Children Act) in this role that was written for her. There’s great chemistry in the dynamic she has on-screen with Kaling and the other cast members. John Lithgow (Leap Year, The Homesman, Beatriz at Dinner) and Denis O'Hare (True Blood, Danger One, Swallow) are among other cast members I was giddy to see in this project.

I loved the peek behind the scenes of the late-night talk show world, and some of the creative process that makes it go-round. I also appreciated the directness with which the film treated the issues that came up and, while the story is fiction, how it humanizes our favorite talk-show figures.

I wouldn’t hesitate to give someone the thumbs-up if requested for a recommendation here. I wouldn’t even mind watching it again.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 80%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 77%

Metascore – 70/100

Metacritic User Score – 6.1/10

IMDB Score – 6.5/10

CinemaScore – B+

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

Movie Trailer: