The movies are slowly but more or less surely coming back, with summer promising an army of long-delayed blockbusters. Among those that have been collecting dust since the pandemic began is F9, aka the ninth Fast and/or Furious entry (tenth if you count the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw). It’s already opened in Hong Kong and South Korea, but Americans have to wait till June 25 to see what ridiculous mayhem Dominic and gang have up their sleeves. And to get people pumped — and to gently rib star Vin Diesel — this year’s SNL season finale offered a parody welcoming people back to questionable multiplexes.
Beck Bennett plays Diesel, sending up his molasses slow baritone as he reminds people about all the great and not-so-great things about an activity people have mostly not been able to do for over a year. For more than 100 years, there’s one place where we all came together to be entertained: the movies,” Bennett’s Diesel says, then starts simply listing things you find at the movies. “The popcorn, the previews, the pretzels, and don’t forget—the movies.
“It’s time to get back to the carpets, the cupholders, the armrests, the napkins,” he continued. “When the movie’s not loud enough, when the movie’s a little too loud. I guess you could say there’s something for everybody…only at the movies.”
Eventually he outstays his welcome, puzzling AMC employees played by Keenan Thompson and host Anya Taylor-Joy. “It’s time to go home, watch a movie at home with no mask,” he finally says. “It’s amazing.”
You can watch the sketch in the video above. And be prepared to remember how annoying it can be to go to the movies.