‘SNL’: Heidi Gardner’s Teen Film Critic on This Summer’s ‘Lit’ New Movies

Baily Gismert is back. After offering her thoughts on “The Shape of Water” and other autumn releases last year, the teen film critic played by Heidi Gardner returned to “Saturday Night Live” to preview this year’s upcoming summer movies. Alas, they can’t all be winners.

“Yeah, so I got to see, like, the live-action remake of ‘Aladdin,’ and to be honest, I thought it was so random,” she said in the unmistakable cadence of an unimpressed teenager during her appearance on “Weekend Update.” “Like, I’ve never seen any of that happen in real life. Like, first of all, that’s not what a lamp looks like. It’s not! And, like, also, you’re, like, rubbing it? Eww! Like, Aladdin, you’re so random!”

Asked by Michael Che to discuss a film she did enjoy, Gismert’s eyes lit up. “So, um, I guess, like, ‘Detective Pikachu’ was, like, lit,” she said. “Like, ’cause like, that movie makes sense to me. Yeah! Because — right? — like, Pikachu was, like, so good at Pokemon, but now he’s, like, working up the ranks to detective. So, like, I don’t know…Pikachu can get it.”

After Che noticed that she appears to have a crush, Gismert got defensive. “OK stop. Don’t, Michael, don’t. I’m serious! Don’t!” she yelled. “Like, OK, yes, he’s smart, he’s hot, he has a good job. And yeah, like, short guys are usually funny. But, like, if you say I like Pikachu, he’s gonna find out ’cause he’s, like, he’ll find out ’cause he’s a really good detective.”

As for why she sounded so upset, the young cinephile pointed out how busy she is with Spirit Club and the fact that, at some point this week, she was to “like, walk an old woman” for her service project. (There’s also the issue of a fellow student who fell asleep on the bleachers during senior lock-in and fell through a crack: “She didn’t die, but she’s, like, not going to college.”)

As Che went to sign off, Gismert got one last remark in: “Believe Constance Wu! Believe her.”