Reviews
Y2K (2024) Spoiler Free Review

Y2K (2024) Spoiler Free Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

“New Years Eve, 1999. The last party before…” Y2K is a 2024 American disaster comedy horror film directed by Kyle Mooney, in his directorial debut, and written by Mooney and Evan Winter. It had its world premiere on March 9, 2024 at South by Southwest, and was released on December 6, 2024 in the United States by A24.

L to R – Jaeden Martell as Eli, Rachel Zegler as Laura, Julian Dennison as Danny. ©2024. Y2K. A24. All Rights Reserved.

The film depicts an imaginative version of the Year 2000 problem. While two loser friends crash a high school party on New Year’s Eve 1999, the bug causes all technology to come to life and turn against humanity.

Premise

The cast includes Jaeden Martell as Eli, Julian Dennison as Danny, Rachel Zegler as Laura, Daniel Zolghadri as CJ, Lachlan Watson as Ash, Eduardo Franco as Farkas, Fred Durst as himself, Kyle Mooney as Garrett, Mason Gooding as Jonas, The Kid Laroi as Soccer Chris, Miles Robbins as Nugz, Alicia Silverstone as Robin, Tim Heidecker as Howard, Lauren Balone as Raleigh, and Kevin Mangold as Cool Blue.

My Opinion

Y2K, from left: Daniel Zolghadri, Lachlan Watson, Jaeden Martell, 2024. © A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection

A new year and a new millennium bring with it an infinite number of possibilities. But this time, it made the world’s greatest fear a reality: the year 2000 problem, also known as Y2K. This collective fear consisted of the belief that computer systems could fail and cause chaos and serious damage of all kinds worldwide. This film takes us to an alternative version where everything predicted did happen. Filled with elements of nostalgia and references to the era, the story tries to push the audience back to the year 1999 but never quite succeeds. Small details that slip through the cracks make the story feel neither immersive nor genuine. Even when the plot wins points for creativity, it still falls into the cliché dynamic of teenagers during an apocalypse.

Depending on whether or not you enjoy stupid, pointless movies, you may or may not enjoy this one. While it has some genuinely funny moments and creative kills, the script leaves a lot to be desired. The acting also fails to exceed expectations even when the cast try their best. Y2K had the opportunity to be on the same level as Bodies Bodies Bodies, an A24 production released in 2022, which places teenagers in the middle of a storm with a killer on the loose and is genuinely funny. Is this movie worth a chance? I would say yes. Even with its flaws there are people who will surely enjoy it. On a personal note for me it was a fun experience that I don’t regret. It could have been better but it’s not as unpleasant as others has described.