Y2K (2024) Review: Kyle Mooney’s High-Concept and Nostalgia-Heavy Apocalyptic Horror Comedy is a Mixed Bag

Remember the Y2K bug when people back in 1999 feared there might be potential widespread chaos related to computer system malfunctions? What if that fear actually happens? This brings us to the high-concept, nostalgia-heavy Y2K, marking the directorial debut of SNL alum Kyle Mooney. He blends a mix of profanity-laden teen and stoner comedies with a splatterfest, B-movie sci-fi horror and fills his movie with do-you-still-remember-all-these-nostalgia vibes.

The latter is especially true right from the get-go with the opening scene of a computer screen showing the AOL dial-up sign-in window, complete with the familiar noise (we) are all familiar with, particularly if you live through the late ’90s through 2000s era. The story follows Eli (Jaeden Martell), a shy loser who has been nursing a crush on her dream girl Laura (Rachel Zegler) but is just too afraid to ask her out, let alone talk to her. He has his best friend Danny (Julian Dennison) whom he always hangs out with.

So, it’s New Year’s Eve in 1999 and not wanting to waste their time doing nothing, the two decide to crash a New Year’s Eve house party, where Laura and her friends happen to be there as well. For the first 25 minutes or so, Mooney has shoved enough nostalgic needle drops from Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” to Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” and even Mandy Moore’s “Candy”. At one point, we also see Danny grooving and singing along to Sisqó’s “Thong Song”.

It’s fun and all until something goes very, very wrong. Lights suddenly go out and the unlikely bloody massacre happens as everyday gadgets and appliances suddenly come to life with some of them even merged into robots of sorts. Mooney certainly has a field day embracing the gleefully B-movie gore and violence. Body counts start to pile up, resulting in the panicked Eli and the rest of them trying to stay alive.

“It’s a bug. AI consciousness pushing a sentient worm command to every processing chip around the world. Translation? Goodbye, human race“.

And so said Laura, who grows pessimistic over what’s going on with the sudden chaos. The rest of the movie focuses on their survival, albeit in a brutally funny way. Case in point: A skateboarding grind attempt that you have to see for yourself and all I can say is it was unexpected. Then, there’s the mano a mano between the stoner Garret (Kyle Mooney) and a robot.

Elsewhere, more needle drops are deployed such as the purposefully cringey “romantic” moment between Eli and Laura stuck in a place you wouldn’t have guessed while Brian McKnight’s “Back at One” plays in the background. I do love the concept that Mooney tries to pour into Y2K but for a genre-bending movie coming from A24, I was naturally expecting more here.

The story is pretty much a hit-or-miss affair with the premise losing steam as Y2K progresses further. The pacing tends to be erratic even for a movie that runs 90 minutes. and it’s kind of disheartening to see one of the characters being killed off too early. The young cast does the best in their given roles but there’s a nagging feeling that Mooney botches the opportunity to flesh out some of the characters, namely the relationship between Eli and Laura is rather perfunctory.

Y2K also tries to spice up its story with the subsequent introduction of a major cameo to a mixed result with an extended scene revolving around the sing-a-long cover song of George Michael’s “Faith” feels awkwardly misplaced. The special effects, in the meantime, have the distinct B-grade look and feel but too bad for some of the good stuff in Y2K, Mooney’s directorial debut remains a missed opportunity.