‘Y2K’ Review (SXSW 2024)
Photo credit: Nicole Rivelli
Written by: Gracie Lowes
Ever wonder what could have happened if our computer systems didn’t interpret the "00" in the year 2000 correctly, and caused a major glitch in the system? If you thought an electronic apocalypse might occur then A24’s new film is for you.
Kyle Mooney’s latest horror/ sci-fi film, Y2K, features names such as Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Eduardo Franco, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and more.
Y2K follows Eli (Martell) and Danny (Dennison), two nerdy best friends trying to make it through high school in 1999. Despite their low popularity status, Danny wants the chance to become popular while Eli wants to confess his crush for his online friend Laura (Zegler) who happens to be the most popular girl in the school.
With similar goals in mind and not a lot of time to achieve them before the new millennium, since it’s already New Year’s Eve, the duo decides to crash the last major party before the 2000’s hit.
The night becomes even crazier than the pair could have ever dreamed when the clock strikes midnight. Everyone was ready to leave 1999 in the past and step into the new year but they didn’t realize the rumours about the world ending due to computer programs glitching were true.
From remote control cars chasing people down and radios speaking through channels, to fan blades flying free and cameras flashing their lights in people’s eyes, this group of high school kids has to form an unlikely team in hopes of surviving the apocalypse that could have happened in Y2K.
Photo credit: @rachelzegler on Instagram
It’s always fun to look back in time at memories, and it was clear that the audience for this movie felt the same. Throughout the film, the costume choices of bright pink shirts, baggy jeans, and butterfly hairclip, paired with some “cool” comeback jokes had sounds of cringing and laughing all around the theatre.
A big part of this film was the technology and how it became the movie villain, that being said the editing and special effects that this team put together to bring these computers to life were amazing and were able to draw viewers into the plot all while keeping them on the edges of their seats.
Overall I give Kyle Mooney’s ‘Y2K’ 3 out of 5 stars.
The film was able to mix humor and horror to create a frightening telling of the many theories people thought were going to happen when the year 2000 happened. From its spot-on decade references and realistic and colour-filled costumes to its creepy yet life-like design for its electronic villain, ‘Y2K’ is able to keep viewers wondering which crazy turn these teens night will take next.
If you enjoyed ‘Terminator’ or ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ I highly recommend watching ‘Y2K’.
