What if all of the hysteria about Y2K was legitimate? In 1999, because the clocks ticked right down to the brand new millennium, there was a worldwide concern that a pc coding shortcut might lead to widespread tech points, disrupting life as we all know. That did not occur, however Saturday Night time Reside alum Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut Y2K asks the query: What if it did although?
Studded with younger stars like It‘s Jaeden Martell, Hunt for the Wilderpeople‘s Julian Dennison, West Facet Story‘s Rachel Zegler, and Stranger Issues‘ Eduardo Franco, sci-fi comedy Y2K’s core story is about what a nightmare it’s to be a teen with a crush. However is boatloads of nostalgia, goofy gore, and large quantities of dopey jokes sufficient to make this comedy come collectively?
Y2K is Terminator, however silly.
Written by Evan Winter, Y2K facilities on two highschool besties, who’re means outdoors the cool child clique. However one New Yr’s Eve, goofball Danny (Dennison) convinces wallflower Eli (Martell) that now could be the time to get seen by crashing a home celebration. Whereas Eli’s fumbling to get the eye of lovely hacker Laura (Zegler), Danny is karaokeing raucously to Sisqó’s “Thong Song” and getting the eye he is lengthy craved. However because the clock strikes midnight, computer systems insurgent as AI goes evil, occurring a comedic killing spree through which every little thing from ceiling followers and microwaves to Tamagotchis could be a weapon. The midnight slaughter sequence is as outrageous as it’s hilarious.
The sci-fi logic of the movie is mainly non-existent, although Zegler’s Laura is saddled with a collection of hacker exposition dumps that half-heartedly arrange some guidelines. However Y2K refuses to take science-fiction significantly. The premise is an excuse to goof on 2000s tradition and chuck some teen archetypes into foolish shenanigans. So Eli reluctantly leads a motley band of survivors out of this home of horrors and right into a plan to avoid wasting not simply their highschool however the entire world.
Y2K is radiant in ’00s nostalgia.
Very like PEN15, Y2K plunges audiences again right into a time the place AIM away messages had been pretentious poetry, dial-up squawked, T-shirts had been worn inexplicably outsized, and burning CDs was a significant device of self-expression. The opening sequence is suffering from such nostalgic ’00s particulars, which aptly set the period and earned a lot laughter and cheers from the SXSW viewers on the movie’s world premiere. Props to Mooney for crafting such a crowd-pleasing starting, however upon reflection, there’s few precise jokes there. It is all in regards to the pleasure of recognition, which might imply this comedy will not play for Gen Z in any respect, regardless of their latest Y2K revival.
Different references play an even bigger position within the plot, like Danny studying Tae-Bo through Billy Blanks’ as soon as unavoidable exercise movies and a musician cameo that — whereas humorous and shocking — wears out its welcome by beating the identical joke into the bottom. Really, that is a little bit of a recurring drawback. Mooney does not have a terrific sense of when sufficient is sufficient so a number of bits drag, making the film really feel a bit meandering even at one hour and thirty-three minutes. However the larger situation is Y2K hangs itself on its least fascinating character.
Mashable Prime Tales
Julian Dennison outshines Jaeden Martell.
Winter’s script is woefully lazy in creating Martell’s Eli as a personality. Established as shy and vaguely nerdy (he likes pc video games and modifying motion figures), Eli is identifiable because the lovestruck nerd archetype. Nonetheless, he is not bizarre sufficient to be fascinating on this world the place electronics are all of a sudden remodeling into gnarly killing machines. Likewise his crush Laura is considered extraordinary as a result of she’s fairly, widespread, and into computer systems whereas being a woman. There’s admittedly a self-awareness in different characters mentioning this supposed dissonance, however Y2K does not go any deeper into Laura’s persona. So the jokes at her expense are extra a lampshade of the difficulty slightly than difficult it.
The place the teenager comedy facet comes alive is in Danny because the charismatic wild card bestie, Franco as a rock-rap-loving bully, and Lachlan Watson as a surly alt chick. However sadly, the script sidelines them for means an excessive amount of of the film. Whereas Zegler has simple display presence, Martell presents a clean stare for a lot of the film that simply squashes its emotional pull. The frantic motion and spurts of bright-red blood helps revive the film’s chaotic vitality, however you may want that Dennison had been given extra to do right here. The New Zealand actor is a dynamo, and it’s a disgrace to see him shunted to the aspect in a unusual bestie position.
As a primary watch, Y2K is a variety of enjoyable. Its teen solid total has terrific vitality, and a supporting solid that features Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Mooney — as a burnout video retailer clerk — brings welcomed microdoses of weirdness. The celebration of all issues ’00s is undeniably charming, even when used superficially. Jokes come quick and frantic, so even when some do not land, there’s loads of laughs available. However on reflection, the film suffers underneath its lack of emotional depth. This can be a stable stoner comedy, gleefully dumb and unapologetically wacky. However as a teen comedy, Y2K lacks the emotional consciousness of classics like Clueless, the unique Imply Women, or Superbad.
Briefly, Y2K is an efficient time, however falls wanting greatness.
UPDATE: Dec. 5, 2024, 4:40 p.m. EST Y2K was reviewed out of the world premiere at SXSW. This overview was first revealed on March 11, 2024, and has been up to date for its theatrical launch.
