'Late Night' Review

Synopsis: A late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her first and only female staff writer. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision brings about unexpected consequences as the two women who are separated by culture and generation become united by their love of a biting punchline.

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for language throughout and some sexual references)

Who should see it? Teenage and adult fans of comedies.

Mindy Kaling's been a rising star in Hollywood since her days on The Office, but Late Night is her first feature-length screenplay despite her numerous credits as an actress, writer, and producer. Aside from writing Late Night, Kaling co-starred and produced Amazon Studios' latest comedy which tackles diversity in the workplace and cancel culture among other relevant topics. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, Late Night is plenty topical. Though some may perceive it as "too woke," Ganatra and Kaling tastefully navigate the subject matter, and it was refreshing to glimpse these issues from the perspective of women of color. Obviously, I am neither of those things, so credit to Ganatra and Kaling for successfully immersing me in this story so that I'd be more sympathetic to their outlook. Kaling doesn't omit other viewpoints though. Some of the other late-night show writers push back against her character Molly, but not always in an antagonistic manner. Kaling doesn't reduce these nuanced conversations to black-and-white discrepancies.

The story itself is relatively simple and lighthearted but handled with such sincerity that you can't help but be swept up by it all. There's an authenticity to the situations Molly encounters as she tries to navigate an unfamiliar, merciless work environment, and the dialogue feels genuine rather than an implementation of forced humor for the sake of cracking a joke. Despite its classification as a comedy, Late Night includes some hard-hitting emotional beats and doesn't stray away from the reality of these situations though. Kaling's script is honest and profound, which is why I deemed the superficial epilogue a tad disappointing. The last few minutes simply provided an unrealistic, optimistic outcome.

As Katherine Newbury, Emma Thompson presents a convincing and layered portrayal of a late-night television personality. Thompson demonstrates an exuberance whenever Newbury's in the public eye, a fierce tenacity in the workplace, and tender vulnerability in her time alone. Playing Newbury's husband diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, John Lithgow turns in an excellent supporting turn, and his scenes shared with Thompson are wonderfully sincere.

Opposite Thompson, Mindy Kaling's Molly is a warm, endearing presence. Kaling strikes an ideal balance between a timid new hire and persistent, hard-working individual. Viewers see her respond to harsh surroundings with both apprehension and an emboldened spirit, but Kaling's depiction of these seemingly contradictory traits feels true to the character and situations she finds herself in. Meanwhile, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Denis O'Hare, Max Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ike Barinholtz each are charming additions to the cast as a series of secondary characters.

Late Night casts its spotlight on a marginalized perspective to tell a tale full of laughs, social commentary, and sincerity. In an unexpected turn of events, Late Night is one of the year's most delightful films. I'd advise staying up and tuning in!

Film Assessment: A-