A lovely tribute to one of the worlds most influential bands.

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2019)

Struggling musician Jack Malik (Patel) is growing increasingly tired of perusing his dreams of becoming a famous singer-songwriter. Despite his best efforts and undeniable talent, Jack's dreams of stardom stray further and further away from him as time passes by. With the ongoing encouragement provided by his childhood friend (and manager) Ellie (James), Jack strives to achieve his dreams in spite of falling short every time. When an unexplainable global blackout occurs, Jack is struck by a bus and wakes up in a drastically changed world; a world in which nobody except him remembers The Beatles. With one of the most influential bands mysteriously erased from existence, Jack takes it upon himself to reintroduce the world to the music of The Beatles, taking credit for their work and skyrocketing to fame in the process.
Yesterday is a charming celebration of The Beatles' music. This collaboration between Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle proves to be a matchmade in heaven that begs the question as to why their creative minds have never joined forces until now. Richard Curtis produces another fantastic script packed with charm and wit, and both Patel and Lily share great chemistry together. They're a fiercely likable duo, and like all of his previous works, Curtis understands how to write excellent romance that's wholeheartedly believable and human. Patels' renditions of classic Beatles songs are pretty great, too. For many, recreating such iconic tracks would be an intensely daunting task, but Patel manages to pull it off. What the film also does so brilliantly is explore the ignorance of genius. Everyone knows the colossal impact The Beatles had on music, and both Curtis and Boyle take great joy in poking fun at how their songs and concepts would be received by the disillusioned youth of today. 'It's not as good as Coldplay,' retorts one of Jacks friends, following a heartfelt cover of 'Yesterday'.
Curtis and Boyle's first (and hopefully not last) collaboration serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most influential bands in the world. Heartfelt and thoroughly charming, Yesterday is a must see even for those who don't necessarily have an attachment to The Beatles or their music.