A24’s “Y2K” A Campy Fun Blast to 90s Past

Initial release date: December 6, 2024

Streaming service: HBO Max

The A24 movie “Y2K” was released in December 2024 and was met with mixed critical reception, as well as a poor box office theatrical run. Despite the mixed initial reception of the movie, I still kept it on my radar and, honestly, I’m glad I did.

In the 2024 recent release “Y2K,” two high school juniors crash a New Year’s Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives when the terror of Y2K becomes a reality and all machines rise up against humanity.

When I looked up the trailers for this movie, I knew off the bat that this movie was just going to be some dumb fun. And, I was right! Even though this A24 movie is filled with some fun, dumb moments, it can actually be entertaining and humorous.

One aspect of the movie that I really enjoyed (and I think a good amount of people in my generation would) is the nostalgia. Throughout the movie, we hear the iconic sounds of the AOL dial-up modem and also get to see (for the first time in quite awhile) the infamous “Welcome” screen. There’s also plenty of references to mixing CDs, Tamagotchis (who remembers those digital pets?), lots of great late 90s music and the video player RealPlayer even shows up (is that even still around?).

Fans of the horror-comedy genre would really appreciate the creative practical effects they used for this movie. Throughout the movie, there are quite a few electronic items (printers, VCRs, etc) attacking just about anyone and even a couple impressive looking tech monsters. There’s even a tech monster that’s composed of several electronics and a TV head that actually looks awesome.

“Y2K” also has some fairly memorable, campy moments, such as the midnight massacre (where all the everyday machines achieve sentience and start their rampage after the clock strikes midnight), the tech monsters that I previously mentioned) and a couple

cameos that are really a blast from the past (Alicia Silverstone; Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst).

This 2024 A24 movie is a fun attempt to blend 1990s nostalgia with a “what if” scenario where the Y2K bug causes electronics to become sentient. Even though it can be flawed and uneven here and there, this is one of those movies where you can turn you brain off for awhile and just have some fun.

Cast: Jaeden Mortell (Eli); Rachel Zegler (Laura); Julian Dennison (Danny); Daniel Zolghandri (CJ); Lachlan Watson (Ash); Jyle Mooney (Garrett); Mason Gooding (Jonas); The Kid Laroi (Soccer Chris); Fred Durst (himself).

Writer/director: Evan Winter (movie debut); Kyle Mooney (co/writer/director)

MPA: Rated R for bloody violence, strong sexual content/nudity, pervasive language, and teen drug and alcohol use   (runtime 91 minutes)

• Jenna Ortega was originally cast as Laura but due to scheduling conflicts couldn't do the film and was replaced with Rachel Zegler.

• Out of the main cast, Mason Gooding and Eduardo Franco were alive during the events of the film. Gooding was 3 years old and Franco was 5. Miles Robbins who played Nugz, was 7. Daniel Zolghadri was born about a month after the film's events.