It goes without saying that Saturday Night Live birthed the careers of many popular comedians. The weekly NBC sketch series has been a source of laughs, social commentary, and controversies since it first aired on December 11, 1975. 45 years later, SNL remains a touchstone of mainstream comedy, as well as the place aspiring jokesters hope to land a gig.
It's common practice for SNL cast members to transition into feature films and their own television series. Think Chevy Chase's Vacation films or Will Ferrell's Anchorman. Current and recent SNL cast members are also trying their luck on the big screen. While some of their efforts result in comedic gold, others fail to yield laughs.
Best: Palm Springs (2020)
SNL alum Andy Samberg, a cast member between 2005 and 2012, has made quite a career for himself as a film and television actor. His latest feature film, Palm Springs, is a quirky rom-com about two strangers who meet at a Palm Spring wedding and then fall into a time loop.
Samberg stars alongside Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, and Peter Gallagher. The film received praise for its talented cast and unique take on the genre.
Worst: Ibiza (2018)
Another rom-com, Ibiza stars Gillian Jacobs as Harper, a New Yorker on vacation in Spain who falls for a famous DJ. Former SNL cast members Vanessa Bayer co-stars as Nikki, one of Harper's friends who accompanies her on the trip.
Phoebe Robinson, Michaela Watkins, Jordi Mollà, and Richard Madden also star in the film. Ibiza relies on all the genre tropes without giving audiences much in the way of compelling narratives.
Best: Greener Grass (2019)
Current SNL cast member Beck Bennett co-stars in this dark comedy that pokes fun at suburbia. Taking queues from the manicured lawns and bright colors featured in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands, Greener Grass is focused on the lives of two soccer moms who are constantly in competition with each other.
Directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe also star in the film. With its absurd humor and manicured set design, Greener Grass paints a distinct portrait of the supposed American dream.
Worst: Ghostbusters (2016)
Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Ghostbusters remake, featuring an all-female cast, turned out to be a box office bomb. How could a film starring SNL folks like Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones – as well as Melissa McCarthy – do so poorly in theatres?
It's in spite of, not because of it, its cast and their entertaining performances that the film was received so poorly. Simply put, the bland script for Ghostbusters made it impossible for these women to breathe new life into the franchise.
Best: The Weekend (2018)
Sasheer Zamata worked on SNL between 2014 and 2017. Zamata has an impressive filmography spanning both television and films, but her talent is on full display in Stella Meghie's independent comedy The Weekend.
Witty and original, The Weekend follows Zamata's character Zadie Barber as she shares a weekend getaway with her ex-boyfriend, his new girlfriend, and another guest. Despite being distributed by Lionsgate, The Weekend remains under the radar.
Worst: Masterminds (2016)
Kristen Wiig reunites with Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones in this ridiculous heist comedy starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, and Jason Sudeikis. Based on the true story, Masterminds follows a group of criminals who decide to rob a cash handling company in Jacksonville, Florida.
With its subpar jokes and slapstick situational scenes, Masterminds fails to make audiences laugh. It also failed to recoup its budget in theatres.
Best: The King of Staten Island (2020)
Judd Apatow joined forces with current SNL cast member Pete Davidson for this 2020 dramedy released on Netflix. Davidson stars in The King of Staten Island as Scott Carlin, a 20-something trying to adjust to his mom's new boyfriend.
Davidson's father, a firefighter, died responding to the September 11 terrorist attacks; the film is loosely based on the comedian's own experiences. Davidson was praised by critics for his emotional performance, amplified by Marisa Tomei's role as his character's mother.
Worst: The Boss (2016)
Melissa McCarthy is technically the star of Ben Falcone's satire about a wealthy female business icon who is arrested for insider trading. McCarthy's character Michelle Darnell attempts a come back after being released, but those who remember her villainous past come out of the woodwork to thwart her efforts.
Current SNL cast member Cecily Strong co-stars as Dana Dandridge, the self-serving boss of Kristen Bell's character Claire. Thanks in large part to poor scriptwriting, The Boss falls apart about halfway through.
Best: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Andy Samberg is a member of the comedy trio The Lonely Island, SNL regulars known for their spoofs on popular music. Samberg made the hilarious mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping with fellow Lonely Islanders Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone.
Samberg plays pop superstar Conner Friel, whose fame is being eclipsed by a rising rapper, Hunter the Hungry – played by SNLer Chris Redd. Popstar features dozens of cameos from real-life pop musicians.
Worst: Brother Nature (2016)
The slapstick, buddy nature comedy is far past its heyday, but filmmakers keep trying to revive it. Brother Nature is a prime example of how poorly these types of movies do in theatres.
SNL contributors Mikey Day, Taran Killam, and Bobby Moynihan worked on Brother Nature, which stars Killam and Moynihan. They star as future brothers-in-law whose divergent personalities are put to the test during a trip to the family lake house.