The latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” happens to have aired the night before the 95th Academy Awards, and that gave the show the perfect excuse for a cold open filled with celebrity impressions.

This time, the sketch parodied E!’s Oscars red carpet coverage, which included some good and some, uh, needs-work impressions. But per usual, Bowen Yang proved he can save even the weakest sketches when he showed up as serial-liar congressman George Santos — pretending to be Tom Cruise.

It kicked off with Heidi Gardner and Marcello Hernandez portraying E!’s red carpet talent, explaining that this year’s ceremony has updated security due to The Slap. “Last year the Oscars had the slap, which was awesome, I mean bad, really bad,” Gardner said, before Hernandez revealed that Mike Tyson had been hired to oversee security.

Tyson was played by Kenan Thompson, and he did give us a very funny line when speaking to Hernandez, who played Mario Lopez, he called him “Mario Luigi.”

Mario luigi. Yes this year all the nominees have been given tazers, all seat fillers has been given guns, and Jimmy Kimmel has been given a flamethrower.

Next the hosts briefly discussed the frequent criticism that the Oscars aren’t very diverse. “Remember, Oscar turns 95 this year,” they said, explaining that Oscars is way less racist than real life grandparents that age.

Next they discussed Oscars betting odds — the funniest moment here is when they gave the odds that “someone who made 20 million dollars last year will say the phrase ‘we are all Ukraine’.”

Then after a few more jokes came Yang. He was of course introduced as Tom Cruise but when he came out he was dressed as the congressman. “I’m definitely Thomas Q Cruise,” Yang’s Santos insisted.

“Now if you’ll excuse me I have to be everyone everywhere all at once,” Yang said as he left the sketch.

See clips from the sketch at the top of the page, and below.

EXCLUSIVE: Tonight at SXSW’s Zach Theatre premiere, Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara McGregor get to show to an audience for the first time You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder. In a road trip drama constructed by Clara with writer Ruby Caster and director Emma Westenberg, they play an estranged father and daughter who come together after a major crisis. While he has started a new family, she has inherited the appetite for substance abuse and wildness he long ago put in his past, and she nearly dies after flatlining in an overdose. Hoping to save her and bridge the distance between them, dad takes daughter on a road trip, but does not tell her it will end when he delivers her to rehab. There are kernels of the real story of the McGregors here, but the tale is fictional and will resonate with any parent who wishes to catch their child’s every fall, but realizes at some point they become helpless bystanders. The film, which is available for acquisition, kicks off SXSW when it makes its World Premiere at 9:15 PM CST. Here, the film’s stars discuss their first onscreen collaboration and the challenges and rewards therein. And check out of the exclusive clip above.

DEADLINE: You Sing, I Sing Louder is a father daughter road trip story made more poignant in that it’s father daughter actors in the car. There are moments of humor, guilt and, when she goes missing for a bit, some terror for a dad who sees his old self in his daughter, and feels guilt for not being around. He tries to compensate for not being there and escorting her to rehab, keeping the purpose of her journey to himself. You both get to cover personal ground here. Ewan, why was a vehicle so close to him the right one for you and Clara to do together?

EWAN MCGREGOR: That’s a very complicated question. The simple answer is that Clara went out and had this written with Ruby Caster. It was because she did that, that we ended up making it. Why this subject matter, this story, is probably for Clara to answer, because she was the one who sat down and made it happen. For me, the reaction was immediate. Clara told me about it, but not much about the script just that she had been developing a story that was about us. Now, it’s about other relationships, and other dads, too, but Clara was also drawing from our story. From the moment I read it, there was no question that I wanted to do it for. Primarily because it was a fine script, but the fact I got to work with her, well…

DEADLINE: Beyond themes that would feel familiar to you as a person, what did you like most about the script when you first read it?

EWAN MCGREGOR: I liked the humor in it. It was tackling very serious issues, but the sense of humor was brilliant. And I liked the simplicity of the story.

DEADLINE: You are talking from a movie set in Manchester, before hopping a flight for SXSW for Saturday’s premiere. You’re a busy actor and that life can be a bit nomadic, a challenging way to raise a family. An opportunity to spend concentrated time making a film with your daughter would be catnip for any father. What was it like to connect on such an intimate level like that?

CLARA MCGREGOR: I want to answer first. Putting that time aside and diving into something together was just so much fun. There was bonding on a different level. I got to not only enjoy spending time with you dad, and enjoying that quality time, but I also got to appreciate my dad’s work on a different level. You know, I’d always obviously appreciated your work in movies and stuff that I’d seen, but getting to be in a scene with you, I really got to see how dialed in you were, and how much you were listening and being in that moment. That really cool for me; I got to appreciate what you do on a different scale.

DEADLINE: Ewan?

EWAN MCGREGOR: For me, the same. I just was so proud of her. I had this feeling of pride all the time as I watched her. I was in these scenes with her and there was a great ease and naturalness to her acting, which I had never experienced before, because I’d never been in scenes with her before. In terms of the work I’d seen Clara do, this was just on a different level. There was something very easy about it. And then on top of that, and that was a lot. I mean, that is a lot for me. To get to play in the way I like to act, with Clara, was amazing.

Also, seeing her as the producer, seeing her with the crew and working with Emma Westenberg, I just felt proud. Her, Vera [Bulder], Greg [Lauritano] and the other producers, and Emma, I felt like there’s a new generation of talent. And it was a pleasure for me to just be the actor.

DEADLINE: For how long were you on this cinematic road trip?

CLARA MCGREGOR: We had 22 days of actually shooting, and I was out there for two months prior doing soft and hard prep. Dad joined us a little closer to shooting, and then a solid 22 days.

DEADLINE: When a parent suggests their kid do anything, their instinct is to do the opposite. Clara, how much did you find yourself doing this while you worked with your dad? What did you learn from his experience that might help you as an actress moving forward?

CLARA MCGREGOR: When Emma yelled action, I got to see how truthful my dad is, as an actor, and how dropped in he is. Always listening, just purely reacting honestly to each moment. We had a lot of trust in each other doing this and we let each other run with it.

DEADLINE: Ewan, did you succumb to that temptation to give her advice and expect for her to accept it from an authority figure?

EWAN MCGREGOR: No, I didn’t. She doesn’t need any advice. This was two people sharing their experience with each other. If there was ever a question, I think there was once or twice car there was, I was happy to help but didn’t feel the need to press that. We had a great director in Emma, and that was her place to be directing both of us. Not mine. There was one instance that where there was a very angry moment where Clara was expressing her anger to me. I could feel her holding back a bit, saying these words to her dad. Do you remember, Clara? And another moment in the motel room. I said, do it again, and fucking just let me have it! It wasn’t a note as much as encouragement, to bring it. It helped me, actually. And it felt safe to do that. It’s hard, because ultimately, you’re playing anger towards your real dad.  

DEADLINE: I’m not going to be specific, but there’s a moment where the father who’s concerned about his daughter learns she is okay. Ewan, in that moment, your reaction is rather emotional. Is it too much to imagine that you were helped in reaching that by the fact that movie daughter was your daughter?

EWAN MCGREGOR: [Laughs]. I don’t know that I’ve ever really understood what meta means. But if it means what I think it might, I think this film is really a lot of that. It can be very meta and still definitely be a work of fiction and not at all biographical. Clara, that scene where you come in and you yell at me, that brought me back to myself [Laughs]. Meta moments.

CLARA MCGREGOR: Meta moments.

EWAN MCGREGOR: I don’t suggest this is autobiographical, but there we were, playing father and daughter and we are that. You can’t help but have that be in the room. Not necessarily our history, but just the fact that we are father and daughter is, all the looks and the little things between the lines and just sitting in a car together. We had a lot to draw from.

DEADLINE: Whatever it takes to allow you to find emotional depth?

EWAN MCGREGOR: Exactly. Clara, it’s amazing to hear you say we shot only about three and a half weeks. In my memory, it feels like we shot for months and months because it was such a rich experience. Very little budget and you stretch every inch of the money available. Shooting lots of scenes a day and it’s one of it was such a satisfying experience for the actors that in my memory, it’s crazy that it was only 22 days.

DEADLINE: Clara, you set this whole thing up. Would you hire and work with this actor again?

CLARA MCGREGOR: Yeah, I think I definitely would. He, it, was the best. I mean, it doesn’t get better than that, so, yes. I really didn’t want it to end. I think it made us a lot closer, don’t you think?

EWAN MCGREGOR: Yeah, totally. To see your daughter pull something like this off? I’m still just blown away and I can’t wait to be there [tonight] to see it with you, Clara, in front of an audience for first time. That’s what you make it for, to put it in front of people and let people, you know, feel things. And that’s gonna be very exciting to be able to set it on its journey. I can’t wait. I can’t believe I’m gonna be there, being in Manchester right now. But I wouldn’t miss it.

Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons? If not, odds are you know someone who has, and even stronger odds that you know someone who adores it. The beloved table-top game, which was introduced nearly 50 years ago, is just that: beloved — which is why it might be puzzling that it took so many years for the property to be adapted for the screen. After the bomb that was the 2000 adaptation, it seemed like we might never explore the worlds of D&D in cinemas again. But good things take time, and that adage has never seemed more true than in the face of “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” the fantasy-comedy that brings the world of the game (at least one version of it) to audiences in a way they’ve never experienced before.

For those who don’t know, the tabletop game is played by having the leader of the game, known as the Dungeon Master, write a quest for the group that they will then play out using a 20-sided die. So every D&D bout is different, and “Honor Among Thieves” is easily one of the best campaigns ever written for the game. The third directorial collaboration from “Game Night” filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein is a magical epic with a completely committed cast who make meals of the comedy and action alike — and you will fall head over heels for it. 

“Dungeons and Dragons” follows Chris Pine’s Edgin the Bard, an imprisoned thief who will do whatever it takes to reunite with his daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), and right his wrongs in the only way he knows how: with a crafty plan. With the help of his best friend and fellow bandit Holga the Barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez), they enlist an old face from their looting days, the mediocre yet spirited sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith), and a bristly yet skilled druid named Doric (Sophia Lillis) to avenge their last heist gone wrong and stop the evil Red Wizards from taking over a beloved city, and in turn, their world. 

There’s no two ways about it: The film is a tried and true fantasy-action odyssey that is as approachable to folks who know next to nothing about the game as it is gratifying for fans. 

The incredible cold open that sets the scene brings the laughs and puts the audience in a position to truly care about the film’s main players is an astonishing collaboration of many elements that come together to make cinema cinema: top-notch acting from the leads to the secondary players, skilled directing, a smart script from Daley and Goldstein as well as their co-writer Michael Gilio, and stunning CGI work combined with practical effects. 

It takes effort to truly hook an audience, especially one where some may not be as familiar with the source materials as others. There’s no denying that “Dungeons and Dragons” grabs viewers by the collar and drags them along for the ride, but it’s clear from the onset that the adventure is more than worth your time. All of those key elements that define the opening sequence carry through to the film’s final moments, giving us non-stop laughs, cheer-worthy action sequences, and some massive memorable obstacles that feel like a series of bosses to beat in a great video game. 

The cast has impeccable chemistry overall, from the way our main four heroes communicate to Edgin’s daughter’s deep connection with Holga. Not only does the audience become invested in seeing them attain their relic and live to tell the tale, they become invested in the bonds they build and shape with one another throughout the quest. Through this chemistry, each individual also shines in their own spotlights. This is Pine at his funniest, and his performance is the key to reminding audiences that fantasy doesn’t always need to be so serious. You can tell how much he’s enjoying himself with every quippy one-liner or hilarious observation, and it breathes life into the foundations of this film. 

Speaking of Pine, his dark horse BFF duo with Rodriguez is so unexpected, but by the end of the movie, it’s hard not to wonder how they haven’t been cast opposite one another before. There’s a great level of patience, understanding, and care between Edgin and Holga that underscores the entire film, and that starts with their connection as actors. If studios don’t take note and pair them up for more action-comedies, they’re leaving a ton of money (and heart) on the table. As for the supporting cast, Lillis brings the smarts and a sense of sleekness to the screen. She is the brains of the operation, and her take-no-crap attitude positions her seamlessly as the straight man of the movie. Smith is the perfect balance of sweet, funny, and relatable, and it feels like this film will finally catapult his career to the heights he deserves.

Hugh Grant is the villain you never knew you needed; It’s rare to see him as such a deplorable, backstabbing little twerp of a man, but it’s incredibly welcomed after years of watching him as a leading romance and conventional comedy guy. He’s been doing more villainous roles over the last few years (“Paddington 2” is a highlight) and they suit him well, especially ones like this with room for him to flex his well-known comedic prowess. Not to be forgotten — not by a long shot — “Bridgerton” breakout Rege Jean Page steals the show. He’s a picture perfect paladin, embodying the character type so well it feels like he’s the one all the rest have been modeled after for the last 50 years. 

Narratively, the film is nearly a textbook Hero’s Journey tale, to borrow from the late great Joseph Campbell. There’s a reason why we love and connect with stories of resilience and honor; we hope to see ourselves shining back at us in the mirror of the television or cinema screen. The heroes of this film, with their varied abilities and powers, are just as much us as we are them.

The film’s spirit is full of heart, and love is at the core of most character decisions within it, from the relic quest that got Edgin and Holga imprisoned in the first place to their reasons for retreating back into the thievery and trickster game. With an  emotional core it wears on its sleeve, it’s no surprise that the finished product of “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is extremely accessible and enticing for non-fans right from the jump, while also satisfying hardcore devotees of the game.

If that’s not a near-perfect roll of the D&D die, I don’t know what is.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and opens in theaters on March 31.