[SXSW 2024] Y2K -- You Got Nostalgia in My Apocalypse

Review by Jonathan Berk

It's 1999, and just a few short hours before the start of a New Year's Eve celebration to end all celebrations. That's not just a trite expression, as many people living in that moment feared the end of the world was upon us. Fortunately, the nu-metal was live on MTV that night, and all of us were ready to eat our bizkits as we left the '90s behind and entered the new millennium. Kyle Mooney chose to make his feature film directorial debut, Y2K, in a hypothetical version of that night asking the question, "What if the machines had revolted?"
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Initially, the movie begins with Jaeden Martell (It and Knives Out) and his best friend, played by Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2 and Hunt for the Wilderpeople), deciding that this New Year's Eve would be the night they shed the shackles of nerdom and finally get laid. It's a familiar story structure that Mooney knows his audience will recognize. He utilizes that familiarity with films like Superbad or American Pie as a shorthand because that is where the story starts. 

Once the guys get to the party, the formula escalates to the point of midnight, and the Y2K bug actually strikes. It's here that the movie truly picks up, and the horror comedy that follows makes it a blast. Consider that the first part of the film at the climb up the rollercoaster — a fun musical interlude of a classic '90s song is the precipice — and the drop is the result of the bug. Much like a rollercoaster rider, you'll either be arms up, screaming with sheer joy, or unhappy that you chose to get on. Fortunately, I was in for the ride. 

The cast also includes Rachel Zegler (West Side Story and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Mason Gooding (Scream and Scream VI), Lachlan Watson (The Unheard and The Kiss List), and Daniel Zolghadri (Ready Player One and Eighth Grade), to name a few. Once the ride gets going, these actors comprise the main group. Each represents a '90s archetype that will again mash that nostalgia button. 

Unlike many other content that uses nostalgia to help win over its audience, Mooney's film satirizes it. Sure, he is still using it to leverage the audience, but he's poking fun at both the '90s of it all and the blatant use of nostalgia in media. The self-awareness of the references only helps to make them more fun, as we laugh with it and at it simultaneously. It is easily one of the film's biggest triumphs. 

Y2K is a funny trip back to 1999 that explores the "what if" scenario so many people thought was the impending reality. Despite being over twenty years ago, it's odd how much of the fear still feels relevant. Maybe we didn't escape when the clock struck midnight, and the electronics were just playing the long game. After all, you only assume AI didn't write this.

Y2K is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
 
Rating: 3.5/5