Y2K

In his directorial debut, Y2K, Kyle Mooney - known for his quirky, offbeat sketches on Saturday Night Live - delivers a film as bold in concept as it is uneven in execution. Co-written with Evan Winter, the film takes the famous Y2K scare of 1999 and reimagines it as a catastrophic event in which technology rebels against humanity. Part sci-fi film, part teen comedy, Y2K juggles humor, horror and nostalgia. Although it succeeds in creating a vibrant snapshot of the late 1990s, the film struggles to balance its ambitious ideas with a coherent narrative. The film is nevertheless a pleasure to watch, thanks to the presence of Rachel Zegler, always as good an actress as she is irresistible on screen.

Y2K delves into the culture of the late 1990s, and does so with remarkable attention to detail. The film meticulously recreates the era, whether it's the noise of modems, AOL chat rooms or the omnipresence of Limp Bizkit's Break Stuff. The costumes, sets and soundtrack - a mix of nu-metal, boy bands and late-90s radio classics - are a love letter to a simpler, pre-smartphone era. For millennials who grew up with Tamagotchis and burned CDs on clunky desktop computers, Y2K is an exhilarating trip down memory lane. But nostalgia can be a double-edged sword. The film often relies too heavily on these cultural references, sometimes to the detriment of narrative depth. The joy of recognizing Tae Bo training or a bully wearing a JNCO is fleeting when it doesn't serve a larger purpose. The script written by Kyle Mooney and Evan Winter sometimes feels like a list of moments to remember, leaving little room for emotional resonance or thematic exploration.

The concept is undeniably clever: what if the Y2K bug really did happen, and humanity was faced with an uprising of sentient technology? This central idea paves the way for a wild, genre-bending adventure. The first act is the film's strongest, introducing characters Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison) as high-school misfits navigating the awkwardness of adolescence. Their AIM chats and late-night VHS sessions are charming and relatable, laying the groundwork for a coming-of-age story that goes instantly off the rails when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. The film's shift in tone from teen comedy to apocalyptic horror is surprising but undeniably entertaining at first. A chaotic family party becomes the epicenter of technological revolt, with household appliances turning hilariously inventive homicidal. From limb-mutilating blenders to laser-firing Tamagotchis, these sequences showcase Kyle Mooney's talent for absurdist humor and his ability to create memorable set-pieces. Wētā Workshop's practical effects are perfectly showcased, giving the killer machines a tactile, grotesque quality that adds to the chaos.

However, the film runs out of steam as it moves into the second act. After the initial chaos, Y2K struggles to maintain its momentum. The survivors - Eli, Danny, Laura (Rachel Zegler) and a few others - flee into the woods, but their interactions are disjointed and lack emotional weight. The narrative becomes episodic, each scene more like a sketch than a coherent part of the story. The pace suffers as a result, with the film relying on one-liners and visual gags rather than character development or exploration of its intriguing premise.

The cast is interesting, but performances are uneven, largely due to the limitations of the script. Eli, played by Jaeden Martell, is an awkward protagonist, but his character lacks the complexity needed to anchor the story.  Laura (Rachel Zegler), a popular girl with surprising computer skills, is an intriguing presence, but she's ultimately underused. Her chemistry with Jaeden Martell seems forced, and her arc is more a plot device than a true exploration of her character. Julian Dennison steals the show as Danny, infusing the film with energy and humor. His charisma carries most of the film's weaker scenes, and his dynamic with Jaeden Martell provides some of the film's rare moments of emotion. Lachlan Watson and Daniel Zolghadri, who play eccentric partygoers-turned-survivors, add layers of humor and charm, though their arcs are underdeveloped. Kyle Mooney's cameo as Garrett, a stoner video salesman, is a comedy highlight, offering moments of levity even as the story flounders.

Beneath its zany exterior, Y2K hints at deeper themes. The film plays with the idea of humanity's over-reliance on technology, using the Y2K bug as a metaphor for the consequences of uncontrolled digital progress. Sensitive machines symbolize the collective fear of losing control, a concern echoed in the current era of AI and automation. However, these ideas remain superficial, overshadowed by the film's relentless search for humor. The film's exploration of millennial nostalgia is equally superficial. While Y2K accurately captures the aesthetics of the late '90s, it rarely interrogates the cultural or emotional significance of that era.  The film seems more interested in recreating the past than reflecting on it, leaving little for the audience to ponder once the credits roll.

The film's third act attempts to bring its disparate elements together, but fails to offer a satisfying resolution. A showdown involving a sentient supercomputer and a surprise appearance by Fred Durst - playing an exaggerated version of himself - feels more like a gimmick than a culmination of the story's themes. The resolution is rushed and lacks the emotional range needed to bind the narrative together.

Y2K is a bold, ambitious debut that captures the spirit of its time with infectious enthusiasm, but its uneven execution and reliance on nostalgia prevent it from achieving greatness. Kyle Mooney's comic sensibility shines at times, but the film's tonal inconsistencies and superficial character work undermine its potential. For fans of late '90s culture, Y2K offers a fun, if fleeting, trip down memory lane. For everyone else, it's a reminder that nostalgia, while entertaining, is rarely enough to carry a story. Kyle Mooney's directorial debut shows promise, but ultimately feels like a missed opportunity, much like the real Y2K bug itself.

Y2K
Directed by Kyle Mooney
Written by Kyle Mooney, Evan Winter
Produced by Jonah Hill, Matt Dines, Allison Goodwin, Christopher Storer, Cooper Wehde, Evan Winter
Starring Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Fred Durst, Alicia Silverstone
Cinematography : Bill Pope
Edited by David Marks
Music by Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
Production companies : A24, Strong Baby Productions, American Light & Fixture
Distributed by A24 (United States)
Release dates : March 9, 2024 (SXSW), December 6, 2024 (United States)
Running time : 93 minutes

Viewed December 25, 2024 (VOD)

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