Yesterday

When we first meet Jack Malik, he is something of a Nowhere Man: an aspiring singer-songwriter struggling along the Long and Winding Road to stardom. However, Tomorrow Never Knows, and just as Jack is about to give up on his dream, a freak worldwide power outage hits, causing him to be hit by a bus in the dark. When he awakes, he finds that he is the only person alive who can remember The Beatles and their music.

As Jack starts performing Beatles songs as if they were his own, his career takes off and, With a Little Help From His Friends, he soon finds fame. Happiness, however, is a Warm Gun, and faced with his new life in the ruthless world of the music industry, Jack is forced to choose what really matters to him.

Himesh Patel, of EastEnders fame, is great as Jack Malik in his film debut, really bringing the character to life in a sympathetic way, while Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Baby Driver) is also brilliant as Ellie, Jack’s hometown manager and childhood friend who longs for something move (She Loves You, Jack!). Ed Sheeran also stars, playing a fictionalised version of himself who helps propel Malik to fame. Made by the star team of director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) and writer Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary), Yesterday is a very funny, feel-good film that is well worth your time. The film’s Beatles-heavy soundtrack is a bonus, too!

Iain Walker