Rating: 4/10
**This review contains spoilers.**
The robotic beeps of dial-up internet, the playful chirping of a Tamagotchi and the existence of DVD stores are all relics of the 1990s that have been revived with the release of “Y2K.” The newest film from A24 details the adventures of a group of high school students trying to survive a robotic apocalypse caused by the Y2K crisis.
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The Y2K crisis was caused by the switching of dates in computers from 1999 to 2000, which was predicted to cause major problems in crucial sectors such as banking, utilities, communications, insurance, manufacturing and government. Early action was taken before Jan. 1, 2000, and most disruptions were relatively minor.
Despite the fictional apocalypse caused by Y2K, the film unfortunately fails to develop its characters meaningfully, struggles to move the plot forward and has mixed success with its jokes.
The film starts with two friends, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), who crash a New Year’s Eve party. With Danny’s encouragement, Eli tries to get a midnight kiss from his newly single crush Laura (Rachel Zegler).
Eli and Danny are both fine characters whose relationship feels authentic. Both are stereotypical nerds who like action figures and computers; consequently, they are mocked by their entire school. As the clock strikes midnight, the Y2K crisis begins — but in this movie, technology becomes sentient and begins killing everyone in sight.
The sudden change from coming-of-age film to horror-thriller is a jarring but effective way of bringing the viewer into the story. After the computer apocalypse begins, our group of heroes — Danny, Eli and Laura — attempt to flee from the house party.
During the escape, Danny is quickly and unexpectedly killed by the sentient machines. Danny’s sudden and unexpected death effectively engages the viewer in the story, but it lacks serious emotional impact because he was given very little time to develop as a character.
The special effects are a noticeable highlight of the film. The extremely graphic and creative ways various household appliances kill people throughout the film leave a lasting impact, but we see very little of it after the house party.
The middle of the movie is the most boring, and the pacing slows down far too much. Our group of heroes collects some stereotypical ’90s characters along the way — Garrett (Kyle Mooney), an aspiring rapper complete with the baggy pants and bucket hat characteristic of ’90s hip-hop, and Ash (Lachlan Watson), a stereotypical ’90s metalhead who is full of piercings and has short, bleached hair.
As the characters seek shelter in the woods in an abandoned factory, they meet with the “Kollective,” a band of stoners and hippies waiting out the Y2K crisis. This portion of the film is mostly dedicated to developing the romance between Eli and Laura but feels too slow.
While the film does try to develop other characters, it often fails to do so. One disappointing example of this is when Ash questions her sexuality. While having a heartfelt conversation on the swing set with Garrett, discussing how she might be gay, the scene is quickly interrupted and forced along to the next scene.
While some of the jokes were able to get laughs out of the audience, a lot of them landed flat and felt inappropriate at times.
However, the film is saved by the late entry of Fred Durst, frontman and lead singer of the ’90s Nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Durst is thankfully given a lot of screen time, which helps quicken the pace of the meandering middle act. The soundtrack is also full of ’90s music, particularly from Limp Bizkit, which brings much-needed energy to the film’s final act.
Durst’s charisma emanates from the screen well, and the audience can see he is having fun with the film. The film’s romantic plotline between Eli and Laura ends satisfyingly after they save the world by defeating the machines.
“Y2K” is a fine film and is far from unwatchable. While the film succeeds at getting a few laughs from the audience, has quality special effects and a fun ’90s aesthetic, it fundamentally struggles in terms of pacing, character development and narrative impact.
While I would not recommend someone pay money to see “Y2K” at the theater, it makes for a great but forgettable film to put on in the background at home when it arrives on streaming services.
