(Warning this Review Contains Spoilers)

I recently came across the movie Yesterday – a 2019 romantic comedy that follows a struggling British singer named Jack Malik and his childhood friend, manager, and secret crush Ellie. After being hit by a bus, Jack falls into a coma and upon waking up, he realizes that no one remembers the Beatles or any of their music. I went in with high expectations, although those hopes were soon dashed.

Review

Plot

This movie defied all expectations I had going in, although not necessarily in a good way. I was very conflicted watching this movie. I went in expecting a thought-provoking alternate history, but instead I got a romantic love comedy with interludes of Beatles songs and for some god-forsaken reason unbeknownst to me multiple Ed Sheeran cameos thrown in there. I’m not saying it was bad, but it was not at all what I expected or how it was advertised. If you’re into romantic comedies, it was much better than expected (albeit a little cliche at times).

The story centers around Jack Malik (acted by Himesh Patel) and how he deals with his newfound fame as he claims all of the Beatles’ songs as his own. His newfound fame draws him away from his old life with Ellie (Lily James), his best friend and secret crush, and thrusts him into the spotlight as a world-famous superstar. While he gains the admiration of millions of fans and fortunes beyond compare, he slowly loses touch with Ellie, and with his true self. Patel beautifully portrays this through his acting, with his character Jack slowly losing his jubilant expression. The passion in his voice fades the longer he stays away from his hometown. Eventually, Jack decides to tell the world that he didn’t write the songs and uploads them to the internet for free. This allows him to go back to his quiet life in England and finally be with his sweetheart Ellie. 

Central Themes

The movie had a surprisingly deep message about the dangers of pretending to be someone who you are not. Yes, there were many cheesy sections and some of the acting and jokes were cringeworthy. However, the message was overall very wholesome. The central theme of staying true to yourself was very reminiscent of some of the works that we have read in Theology, such as Father Merton’s book Becoming Who You Are. It was heartwarming to see a genuinely good central message of a film. When there are so many new media releases where the central message preaches evil, it’s nice to see a wholesome film for a change. Coming off of watching the Netflix Series Outer Banks, where according to Common Sense Media the central message is, and I quote: “You can’t trust anyone, and laws/social norms don’t hold much weight, so there’s no point in following the rules.” It’s nice to see a positive message in films such as this.

What I Enjoyed Most

Lead Role’s Performance

Himesh Patel’s acting as the main character Jack Malik was what saved the movie for me. He does a superb job of portraying a genuine, likeable artist who stumbles upon the chance of a lifetime. His acting was fantastic, realistically portraying the complex tension tearing him between his small town and hollywood. In certain scenes in particular, he really showed the misery that can come from pretending to be someone who you are not.

In one scene Patel is waiting behind the curtain to perform at a concert celebrating the release of his first album. Patel lets loose his emotions, shouting at himself for being a fraud and abandoning his home. This raw, griddy display of emotions is part of what makes Patel so endearing to the audience, authentically portraying the pain of success. Another thing that makes Patel so incredible in this movie is his singing talents. They are amazing and he performs all of the Beatles’ covers with such poise and showmanship that for a second you forget that this is a movie. His cover of “Eleanor Rigby” was jaw-dropping and brought chills to my spine when I heard it. The film is dramatically elevated by Jack Malik’s acting and musical talents, and without him it would suffer.

Supporting Characters

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the acting of some of the major supporting characters. As a rule of thumb, cameos by non-actors usually result in cringeworthy lines and take you out of the immersion of the story. Because of this, I went in skeptical about Ed Sheeran’s role in this movie. However, Ed Sheeran does a fabulous job in this film and sets a model for all non-actors to follow in movies going forward. How? He doesn’t pretend to be somebody else, instead he portrays himself, an artist who recognizes Jack’s musical talents and wants to introduce him to the world. In the musical world, Ed Sheeran’s known for kindness and desire to help younger artists, so Ed Sheeran’s casting as a mentor-figure is perfect.

Originally, the film director wanted Chris Martin, the lead singer for the band Coldplay to be in the film. However, he declined and that was a godsend for the movie. Ed Sheeran’s mentor role in this film dramatically improves the overall quality of the film. Instead of taking away from the immersion of the film, he enhances it. His presence legitimizes Jack’s role as a singer in the minds of viewers and improves the work as a whole.

Major Criticism

Plot Holes

One of my big criticisms about the movie was the many plot holes throughout the film. For one thing, the whole premise of the movie was illogical and silly. Why does Jack remember the Beatles, but no one around him does? Did evil space aliens descend down upon the world while he was in a coma and wipe their memory? Yes, I know what you might be thinking, “This is just a silly comedy, why is this so deep?” Well, it’s important because the director keeps bringing this up again and again as an essential plot point! Towards the end of the movie, some of his fans come up to him and tell him they remember the Beatles wrote those songs. This is part of what drives him to give up on stardom. Well how on earth do those people remember The Beatles too, but no one else on the planet does? There’s no attempt to explain it and leaves the audience utterly befuddled. 

Misleading Marketing

My other main complaint about the movie was the misleading marketing surrounding it. When I first heard about this movie, I was immediately intrigued by this idea due to its boundless potential. The Beatles were monumental in their time, and had such an immense and lasting impact on Western culture and music. Without their existence, the music industry, but also our world today would look drastically different and I was excited to explore this bit of alternate history. Unfortunately much to my chagrin, they decided not to explore this facet, and instead focused entirely on the life of the fictional Jack Malik. It was fine, and Himesh Patel actually did a great job with this. However it would have been much more enjoyable to focus on the cultural impact of the Beatles’ disappearance.

Overall Rating

Overall, I would rate this movie a 7.2 out of 10. It’s a fun, lighthearted comedy that brings up some interesting points about staying true to yourself. However, the plot holes and the lack of exploration of the premise really left me with more questions than answers. What would have really happened if the Beatles hadn’t existed? That question is what drove me to write the next part of this article, an alternate history exploring this very question.

What would the world look like without the Beatles? – An Alternate History

Historical Context

Before we look at what culture might be like without the Beatles, first we must look at their historical and cultural achievements. It’s impossible to understate the significance of the Beatles. They are the best selling musical band in history, selling more than 600 million albums. Yet, they were not simply a music band. They were icons, drivers of the culture and shaped politics, culture, and art for years to come.

The Beatles’ Humble Start

The Beatles originated in Liverpool, England where the 3 original core band members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison met through the broader musical community in the surrounding areas. They performed in England at local bars before their manager Allan Williams arranged to send them to Hamburg, Germany in 1960. In Hamburg, they truly began to develop their unique sound and talent. Every day for 8 or more hours a day they would perform at local bars and night clubs. They would rotate in between different clubs for the next two and a half years. Over the course of their time in Germany, they met their 4th and final member of the band, Ringo Starr and were finally ready for their debut. In 1963, they came back to England ready to start a movement. They started off with a bang, releasing the single “She Loves You,” taking the world for a storm and breaking the current record for fastest selling single.

“Beatlemania”

It was at this time that the Beatles were ready to go to America. In 1964, following the release of their song “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” they flew over to America for their first United States tour. When they touched down, they arrived to thousands of fans swarming the band and “Beatlemania” was born. “Beatlemania” was the word for the intense teen infatuation with the band, the likes of which had never been seen before. Teens across the country would flock just to get near them, ransacking hotels that they stayed at for sheets, pillows, and any souvenirs they could get their hands on. They toured across the US and the world, hosting the largest concert ever at the time, performing for over 55,000 people.

What Would the World Look Like Without Them?

Artistic Releases

So what would the world look like if the Beatles magically disappeared off the face of the earth? Well, for one thing the musical scene would look entirely different. Before the Beatles, artists primarily would release songs as individual solos. Albums were more rare and didn’t usually tell a coherent story. Instead they were more of a collection of solos. The Beatles revolutionized this aspect of the music industry. They were one of the first major bands to release albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band that told full narratives. Their success of the albums ended the era of solos and began the dominance of albums as a primary storytelling mechanism. Without the Beatles, albums would be much more rare and less meaningful. 

Musical Influence 

The Beatles also made Rock and Roll music much more mainstream. Prior to the Beatles, Rock and Roll was viewed as edgy, and less widely accepted. However with the Beatles massive success, performing for over a third of the United States on shows like the Ed Sullivan Show, their unique style of rock and roll made it much more widely acceptable. This paved the way for bands like Led Zeppelin and Radiohead to flourish down the road. Without the Beatles, the unique sounds of future stars like these would never fully develop. 

The Beatles Cultural Influence

What is the Countercultural Movement?

The Beatles were also instrumental in changing the culture at the time. The Beatles spoke to teenagers’ rebellious attitude at the time. They were one of the prominent leaders of the 1960s Counterculture movement. This was a movement that rejected the violence happening in Vietnam, however it was not limited to that. The Counterculture movement was synonymous with what we would call Hippies. They supported love and toleration for all people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. Members rejected the strict society around them, the war in Vietnam, racial discrimination, and other injustices. They experimented with wild hair styles and behavior as a way to rebel.

What Was the Beatles’ Influence in the Movement?

The Beatles were one of the main leaders of this movement. Members such as John Lennon and George Harrison grew their hair out as a means of protest. All of them have admitted to trying illicit drugs such as Marijuana and LSD, sparking some of their most famous songs, such as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” They also aided causes such as desegregation. When they came down to Florida for their 1964 tour, they found out that one of their performance sights, the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida was segregated. The Beatles were appalled and promised not to perform unless the event organizers integrated it, contributing to the movement. If the Beatles hadn’t existed, modern culture would be so incredibly different. Without the support of incredibly popular figures such as the Beatles, the Counterculture movement would probably not exist in nearly the same extent. This means the reforms that emerged out of it, gay rights movements, women’s rights movements, and other socially liberal policies could have had huge delays and might not have happened nearly as fast.

Overall

In general, without the existence of the Beatles our modern world as we know it would be massively different. Musicians as varied as Coldplay, Harry Styles, and Billy Joel all have admitted the Beatles’ immense influence on their music. Without the Beatles, modern music would sound immensely different and without their leadership in the counterculture movement, not just our music but our entire world would look drastically different.