Y2K (2024)
New Years Eve, 1999, The Last Party Before Y2K
🤖🔌
Starring: Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Fred Durst & Alicia Silverstone
Director: Kyle Mooney
Written by: Kyle Mooney & Evan Winter
Released: December 6, 2024
Box office: $4.2 million
Distributed: A24
THOUGHTS 💭
For the past decade, it felt like we were being hit with a wave of 80s nostalgia. In large part due to the popularity of Stranger Things and its impact on pop culture, every film, TV, and musical artist followed suit and seemed to want in on the mass appeal of the 80s. Now it’s the millennial’s turn. The 90s/early 2000s are back baby and it’s in full swing. What was once considered cringe, is now cool.
The Y2K conspiracy theories were not something I was privy to. Granted, if anything had to have happened, I was only 6 years old in 1999. So what worry did I have? My biggest concern was whether my mom would buy me Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time album 💿 😂 and I’m pretty sure if technology did turn against us, my Walkman would’ve choked me to death if it had the opportunity.
This film flips that conspiracy theory into a comedic disaster movie where a group of teens has to save the day before technology presses control-alt-delete on humanity forever.
What a great popcorn 🍿 flick to have fun with and bring in the New Year! It would probably go over well at a low-key house party or for those who prefer to have a night in. It doesn’t require you to think. It doesn’t even require you to be scared. It only requires your willingness to go along with what is unfolding on screen 📺.
If you grew up in this era, you’ll be delighted with all the references they throw in here. It immediately transports you back in time, unlocking memories you’ve probably forgotten. What I like about how they incorporated the references is they didn’t feel forced or like it’s pandering. It served the world-building and helped to flesh out the characters’ personalities and humourous moments.
Some memories that were jogged for me were:
Dial-up internet, burning CDs 💿, usernames, and shorthand texts…the simpler times.
HOLY SHIT TAEBO - I used to do all those tapes after school because my mom owned them all. Billy made us all feel like a pro boxer.
The slow image download, and let me tell you…the number of times I got caught based on the browser history.
I miss the experience of picking out a movie at the local blockbuster 📼
Watching this film 🎥 also brought me back to what I used to think American teen-house partying was like. A big house, no parents in sight, and debaucherous teens living their best lives.
I wouldn’t classify this film as a horror-comedy, but rather a comedy film that has light horror elements. Even though characters are killed in gruesome manners, it still is for comedic effect and never takes itself seriously enough to require the audience to be scared. What the film does very well is provide endless funny moments that legitimately had me laughing out loud.
The rap battles that would occur every few scenes😂sent me. It was so awkward yet so true of the time. I’m sure every millennial went to school with a group of fellow students who thought they were in a rap or dance crew. However, when the Thong Song came on…I flipped out. IYKYK. That song was huge! As kids, we had no damn idea what we were singing along to. All I know is that when the song began, it had some kind of magnetic pull and we all were entranced by this booty anthem lol 🤣
I think this film was well-cast. Everyone played their role to a T and drew me in. Even though there were plenty of slapstick moments, they were able to ground it just enough for the comedy to hit. Kyle Mooney & Evan Winter set up some solid jokes and used “awkward” humour well, especially with interactions from Mooney’s stoner character Garret.
Surprisingly, this film isn’t all shits and giggles. There were a few emotional scenes that hit. Danny and CJ have their respective moments that pull at the heartstrings. Even Garret has a heartfelt moment before some funny, over-the-top shit happens to him.
Although this film is quite formulaic and follows a few of the tropes we’ve come to expect from comedy-disaster films. Its pacing kept it entertainingly fresh the entire runtime. With enough stakes every so often to jolt us back to the premise that electronics are trying to take over.
I would recommend this film. It’s a solid premise with some good laughs and enough silliness to take away your week’s troubles. This is definitely for millennials to appreciate, but is for anyone who enjoys comedic disaster movies.
I give this film 4 out 5 butterfly hair clips
