Yesterday, NO Syfy Movie Here

Rating: 7/10 (1 July 2019)

Imagine a world with no Coke, Oasis, Harry Potter, Cigarettes, and the Beatles. Ok, a world without cigarettes would be a good thing. This is exactly what Directory Danny Boyle was going for in his latest film "Yesterday" starring Himesh Patel (Jack Malik), Lily James (Ellie Appleton), Sophia Di Martino (Carol), Joel Fry (Rocky), and Ed Sheeran (Ed Sheeran). Jack is a down on luck, struggling, an unattractive songwriter who one night, on his way home, gets hit by a bus during a worldwide blackout. The blackout is key to what happens next.
Laid up in the hospital with two missing teeth, Jack's best friend and manager Ellie pays him a visit. She breaks the news to him about his broken guitar and his sort of comical looking smile. When Jack references an old Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four", Ellie completely misses the reference. In fact, he learns that nobody knows anything about who the Beatles were. For some reason, Coca-Cola and Harry Potter do not exist either. Some of the user reviews on IMDB compare the movie to an old Syfy television show from the 80's that deals with parallel universes phenomena where somebody, either Jack or everyone on Earth, in this case, is transported to an alternate universe. Was this divine intervention or can a simple solar flare somehow change history?
The point is not to over analysis the movie. Accept it for what it is and enjoy the music. Too bad however there was not more of those nostalgic songs that made the Beatles famous in this universe. There was some familiarity in the plot that reminded me of other films but watching Jack and Rocky interact with Ed Sheeran was still fun while at the same time watching Jack struggle with his moral dilemma. What should Jack do, tell the world who is really the musical genius behind his success? No one knows who the Beatles are so what harm will it cause?
Lily James is adorable as Jack's love interest and manager Ellie Appleton. Or perhaps it's the other way around, as Ellie is in love with Jack without him realizing it. The underlying message is that one does not need to be beautiful or charismatic to find love or become a huge star. You just need to be honest with yourself. Know your limitations and find a way to challenge those limitations to be the best YOU, you can be.
"Yesterday" is no superhero movie by far. But it was the only "non-super hero" film where only those that were at least 60 years old and older stayed through the end credits just to listen for more original Beatles music.