As a child of the ’90s, I must admit that watching Y2K felt like stepping into a time machine and being transported back to my teenage years. The film is a hilarious and heartfelt ode to the decade that shaped me, and Kyle Mooney has done an exceptional job in bringing this nostalgic vision to life.
As a devoted enthusiast, I’d like to share my thoughts with a twist. Imagine reading this review on an antique Nokia phone, where the screen is just about as big as two postage stamps! It’s quite a challenge, but it adds a unique, nostalgic touch to the experience.
1999 stood out as an extraordinary year filled with intriguing social and pop culture phenomena: from digital pets, loose fashion trends, Woodstock ’99, and Total Request Live, to the ominous Y2K threat that some believed could destroy our civilization. By the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2000, this once-pressing issue had transformed into a forgotten joke. Over the last 25 years, it has served as a charming, yet increasingly forgettable lesson about sensationalized media panic. Yet now, or then, its relevance seems to have resurfaced.
Y2K
Title Date: December 6, 2024
The unique blend of numbers and letters, Y2K, can endure eternal notoriety due to Kyle Mooney’s latest filmmaking endeavor from Saturday Night Live, titled “Y2K”. Unlike a narrative inspired by reality, this movie revolves around an imaginative premise: “What if the Y2K bug were indeed real and more chaotic and unpredictable than initially anticipated?” When disaster strikes in this film, rest assured that the chaos will be returned to you tenfold.
Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison respectively play the reserved Eli and his exuberant buddy Danny, a pair of outcast high school students who decide to attend a wild house party. It’s like Superbad but without excessive sexual tension (Jonah Hill is a producer). Eli yearns for the affection of popular girl Laura (Rachel Zegler), while Danny seeks freedom, even if it means enduring bullying from the resident tough stoners Farkas (Eduardo Franco) and Ash (Lachlan Watson). Despite the exaggerated nature of the characters, Martell adds depth to the story with his sensitive portrayal.
The ensemble in Y2K is equally impressive and ready to party, even though many of the actors were not yet born during this time period. Leading the pack is Daniel Zolghadri from Eighth Grade, playing CJ, a character who loves underground rap and marijuana. Also joining in are Australian rapper The Kid Laroi, Mason Gooding known for the Scream series, Tim Heidecker, a mastermind of alternative comedy, and ’90s icon Alicia Silverstone. Unfortunately, it seems that due to budget constraints, there were no cameos from popular heartthrobs such as Mario Lopez and Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
Y2K is a 1999 time capsule for very specific kinds of freaks and geeks.
Even though I typically don’t discuss my age in relation to movie stories, there’s something I must bring up. On New Year’s Eve 1999, I was the same age as the characters in Y2K. Back then, I was a die-hard metalhead, rocking JNCO jeans, and naively drinking hard liquor without much thought. If not for the thrilling splat-stick deaths and overall chaos, I might have believed I attended this party during my high school years.
Screenwriters Kyle Mooney and Evan Winter drew inspiration from movies such as “The Faculty,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” and “Y2K.” The latter film beautifully blends elements of these two classics, but with a twist – it shines the spotlight on teenagers who reside on society’s fringes instead of the typical high-achieving personalities. While Rachel Zegler’s character, Laura, is initially portrayed as one of the popular kids, she later shows hidden interests that prove vital for survival.
This film playfully evokes Del the Funky Homosapien and employs Eminem as a form of criticism. It also features Lachlan Watson transitioning from sporting a Korn tee to a Slipknot one, and includes Fred Durst, Limp Bizkit’s lead singer, as a prominent character. Although the movie stumbles during scenes where these outcasts continue bickering about preferences and social standing long after they should have reconciled, such behavior is reminiscent of everyday life.
Unlike a lot of horror-comedies, Y2K doesn’t lose the laughs when the plot gets haywire (and introduces Fred Durst).
Absolutely, let’s tackle the elephant in the room about Fred Durst being compared to a Y2K novelty. But, he’s more than that in this narrative; he serves as a catalyst of sorts amidst the chaos of technology gone awry. It might seem like an odd choice or a gimmick, given all the potential ways his appearance could be manipulated, such as making him look 25 years younger or emphasizing his celebrity status. However, it surprisingly works and Durst plays a pivotal role in maintaining the delicate balance between horror and comedy in this story.
In many films belonging to this particular sub-genre, jokes are packed into the beginning to make way for serious plot developments in the final act. However, the film Y2K maintains its comedic elements, such as visual gags, lighthearted humor, and bizarre apocalyptic scenes, even until the end credits roll. What makes this film stand out is that the technology at its core, which is strangely absurd in itself, consistently provides humor. Every dramatic moment is undermined by a burst of laughter, making it even more entertaining.
16-year-olds often perceive life as incredibly intense, but it can suddenly feel less serious and then back again. However, not every joke or dramatic moment resonates as deeply as the best ones do. The pattern isn’t smooth like a bell curve, but more chaotic, similar to the Taco Bell chihuahua’s antics.
Kyle Mooney not only excels behind the scenes, but also plays the funniest character in the movie.
In the realm of underappreciated 2017 comedies, Kyle Mooney, who co-wrote “Brigsby Bear” and co-created the ’90s retro delight “Saturday Morning All-Star Hits!”, showcased his full skillset with the movie “Y2K”. It seems like a long-lost VHS gem you’d find in a video rental store from 1999. In fact, it might surpass what one would expect from a film of this scale. Mooney succeeded in attracting Bill Pope, the cinematographer behind “The Matrix” and “Clueless”, and his influence is clearly visible.
However, beyond the impressive writing and direction, Kyle Mooney impressively portrays three roles: one being the film’s humorous and chaotic character, Garrett, a video store employee often referred to as “the white guy with dreads.” Known for his laid-back demeanor and constant cloud of marijuana smoke around him, Garrett sets the movie’s tone. Not only are each of his silly lines hilarious, but even his smiling reaction shots become punchlines themselves due to his over-the-top appearance.
Without a doubt, credit should be given to Mooney and Evan Winter as well for crafting a film set in 1999 that is remarkably devoid of the offensive language and outdated discussions common during that era. This thoughtful approach will undoubtedly contribute to the enduring popularity of its cult following.
For those whose lives mirrored the characters in Y2K, it undeniably resonates deeply, yet it manages to elicit laughter and awe from audiences who were teenagers well before or after its 1999 setting. It’s not that the entire decade hasn’t been revisited countless times online. However, Y2K has an uncanny ability to make me yearn for a return to that precise moment in time, even if it’s just for a brief 15 minutes or so, until a popular ’90s song plays and reminds me why digital playlists are infinitely more practical than mix CDs.
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2024-12-06 14:07