In what may be the first deep dive into new millenia nostalgia, Kyle Mooney comes in hot with Y2K. Mixing surreal with silliness, Y2K is the kind of film that may prove rather divisive. As much as nostalgia is the driving force, there is a pocket of viewers who may not feel as warm to the premise depending on where they fall on the Gen X/Millennial divide.
Those of us within the teenage persuasion will probably find more to love than those old enough to really remember what that century was actually like. I remember thinking the whole idea of Y2K (the event, not the movie) was dumb, although it was so in your face all the time that you couldn’t help and feel slightly conspiratorial as well.
Those of us who were there all know what wound up happening — absolutely nothing — but that isn’t stopping Mooney from throwing in his trademark zaniness he brought to Saturday Night Live for nine years. Yes, the AI robot uprising turns out to be real here, and only a ragtag pack of high schoolers stand a chance at being humanity’s last stand.
The cast are what really sells the film with each of them adding their own brand of hilarity to their characters, even if they all fall into the same teen tropes we’ve seen since John Hughes’ made them the staple they are today. Jaeden Martell and Rachel Zegler play off each other very well, making their friendship — and possible romance — feel genuine.
Martell is also a great match against the whirlwind of verbal tomfoolery that is Julian Dennison — finally getting a role worthy of his debut in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The only exception being The Kid Laroi as “Soccer Chris,” who acts about as well as he sings (insert sarcasm here). Thankfully he’s dispatched rather quickly, along with most of the cast, while our un-merry band of RoboKillers are more than enough to keep things moving along.
The screenplay is so packed with references and callbacks to the era that some may find it grating. However, if you’re in the mood for some super silly and gory hijinks in a film smart enough to cast Alicia Silverstone as Eli’s mom — with a fantastic surprise cameo saved for the finale — then Y2K is the blast from the past you’ve been looking for.
