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A heroic journey, some romance, and a whole lot of cringe-worthy jokes await you in Y2K. Written by Kyle Mooney (Brigsby Bear) and Evan Winter, Y2K is Mooney’s directorial debut. The film follows two teenagers who crash a New Year’s Eve party in 1999, but before it turns into a classic high school comedy, the Y2K bug takes over all the electronics, causing them to wreak horrific havoc. Y2K is a comedic horror film, one that doesn’t hold back. It stars Jaeden Martell (It), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2).
Y2K starts off as a fairly simple teenage romantic comedy, with the nerdy Eli (Martell) trying to win the affection of Laura (Zegler) at a New Year’s party. After the electronics begin to malfunction, killing most of the partygoers, the remaining few people try to find somewhere safe where they might be able to stop the tech issues. The horror turn is fantastic, and going into the film, I didn’t realize just how much the horror genre would take over by this point.
The Turn of the Millenium
The horror turn is reminiscent of movies like Shaun of the Dead. The film begins with a relationship angle, allowing for more investment in the characters when that turn comes. The resulting effect is bittersweet because some of the characters you’ll probably be interested in die early on. Otherwise, the story is fairly straightforward, where the main characters leave the party to go to one safe haven, and then go to another one. The story is a little too simple – with some aspects being a little too convoluted as well.
Y2K is quite funny, and it had me chuckling throughout the entire film. Most of the humor is cringeworthy, and I was covering my face for many of the jokes. The humor and horror come together with the emotion-driven story to keep the film moving. Y2K has a 93-minute runtime, and most of that is well-paced, even if the story does slow down at a couple of points. The effects are fun too, because everything is designed to have that 1999 aesthetic. The computer effects look goofy, but because they’re supposed to be nostalgically reminiscent of that era.
The performances are solid, too; everyone feels like they’re the ages they’re acting as. Martell plays the nerdy emotional vulnerability well, while Zegler is effortlessly charming even though her character – as is the case with most of the characters – is flawed. Dennison is funny, but he’s not doing anything here that he hasn’t done before. None of the supporting performances are bad either with Daniel Zolghadri (Eighth Grade), Lachlan Watson (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things), Mason Gooding (Scream VI), and The Kid Laroi all turning in decent performances.
The Horrific Fun in Y2K
Kyle Mooney stars in the film, playing a stoner named Garrett. He is quite fun, nailing the comedic tone and cadence quite well. While the visual effects are goofy, the designs of the robotic amalgamations that are birthed from the bug are visually interesting. The horror itself is more fun than scary, with people dying in ways that are more comedic than horrific, but that doesn’t hinder the reactions to any of the deaths.
Of course, we can’t comment on the era without mentioning the great soundtrack. Y2K’s soundtrack is important, as it grounds you in the time period, working together with those goofy visual effects to force you to remember when the events are taking place. We won’t spoil it here, but a famous musician has a solid appearance in the second half of the film, while music is one of the main topics discussed throughout. The soundtrack features Sisqo’s “Thong Song,” Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” and Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” along with some other great period-accurate choices.
Ultimately, Y2K promises some horror and some comedy, while delivering on both fronts. It never takes any awful turns, but the by-the-numbers plot and occasional slow moment might turn you off. With good performances and interesting visuals that reflect the period, Y2K is a nostalgic trip that should leave you thoroughly entertained. If not, you’ll at least have a decent time cringing at all the jokes. If you’re a fan of horror comedies, you should go see this one on the big screen. Just don’t get attached to any of the characters.
You can watch Y2K in theaters from December 6, 2024.
Y2K
Y2K succeeds as a horror comedy, finding the humor in the period while forcing you to care about the characters.
Pros
- Good performances for some good comedic characters.
- Great soundtrack that grounds you in 1999.
- The horror turn is sudden and one of the highlights of the film.
Cons
- A simple story that goes from A to B.
- A couple of slow scenes weigh on the pacing a little.
- Charismatic characters are introduced only to be killed off in the first 30 minutes.
