by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
Comedian Kyle Mooney is best known for the offbeat sense of humor that he brought to Saturday Night Live. His sketches were always awkward, weird, and boundary-pushing, toeing the line between uncomfortable and hilarious. The trailers for his directorial debut Y2K promised a return to that tone, but the final film is surprisingly something a little more complex. That’s not to say it will win any awards; far from it. But the premise of, “What if Y2K actually was the end of the world?”feels like, at best, it could be a 10-minute SNL sketch before getting old. Mooney’s ability to turn this idea into a full-length movie is more impressive than most people will give him credit for. I was expecting a complete brain-off plotless joke fest that might make me chuckle a couple of times. Instead, I got a movie that’s quietly many things at once: a low key spiritual successor to 2013’s This Is The End,a tribute to the cultural influence of Limp Bizkit, and an eerily pertinent message about technology overtaking us.
On the eve of the new millennium, friends Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison) plan to have a night of fun. Eli specifically is trying to get with the popular girl, Laura (Rachel Zegler), but his pathetic attempts at getting with her are interrupted by the Y2K virus turning out to be real. All technology from Tamagotchis to household appliances are killing people around the world. Narrowly escaping the first wave, the kids wander through the apocalypse trying to find ways to survive and possibly save the world.
Y2K perfectly captures the attitude of classic teen movies of the ‘90s and 2000s. The characters really feel like teenagers, and not like talking pieces for adult writers. The movie doesn’t just rely on cheap nostalgia. Sure, there are plenty of references and a great early ‘00s celebrity cameo near the end, but we’re not just watching a slideshow of the era’s greatest hits for an hour and a half. Underneath the Terminator pastiche and the goofy antics is a script that’s actually pretty solid, despite how absolutely ridiculous it is. Mooney does a great job of balancing parody and straightforward horror. It’s a really fun throwback to a type of stoner movie that seems to have gone extinct after the 2000s ended (think Dude, Where’s My Car or the Scary Movie franchise). This feels like something you’d find waking up to at 3 a.m. after leaving Adult Swim on. Judging by his previous works, that’s exactly what Mooney was going for.
The cast is essentially a young Hollywood who’s who. Most of the performers are faces you’ve seen over the past decade, and this is really a great showcase for all their talents. Their comedic chops are serviceable, but it’s their ability to sell the dramatic and horror moments elevate the film above a run-of-the-mill comedy. Some of the deaths here are absolutely hilarious, and some hit like a punch to the gut.
Y2K is a fun romp through millennial nostalgia. Maybe it’s just because I’m close to this era, but for as goofy as it is, I was glad that I enjoyed it. It’s a wild idea that’s executed about as well as it could be; a raunchy and ridiculous time that’s an amusing escape to a simpler era.
Rating: Liked It
Y2K is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Jeffery Rahming, and follow him on Twitter