As a gamer who’s seen his fair share of apocalyptic games, let me tell you this: Y2K was a disaster that made Fallout 76 look like a masterpiece. I’ve survived nuclear holocausts, fought off hordes of mutants, and even battled my way through an alternate reality where pigeons ruled the world, but nothing could have prepared me for the unmitigated chaos that was Y2K.
Are we in the ’50s or 1999? Huey Lewis posed that question in his song from the end of the last century, and it certainly was an era! From boy bands to AOL Instant Messenger, Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney seems quite nostalgic about the turn of the millennium. However, the new millennium also brought the notorious Y2K problem, where there was widespread fear over computer glitches. Now, more than two decades later, we know that there was no computer-induced apocalypse. But Mooney’s film dares to explore the question, what if there had been? Get ready for a ride through Y2K.
2024’s Y2K movie was expected to be hilarious, but surprisingly turned out as one of the year’s worst films. This disaster-themed comedy was so excruciatingly unfunny that I began doubting my sense of humor. I found myself in a full theater, watching a supposedly amusing film, managing only a few sporadic laughs from the audience. From the start, I had an uneasy feeling about the movie as its initial jokes fell flat. Like most comedies, when the opening scenes didn’t induce much laughter, it wasn’t a promising start for the rest of the film.
It’s crucial to understand that in a disaster comedy like Y2K, both the humor and the catastrophe should be deliberate. The chaos in the story mirrors real-life events, not flaws in the movie itself. In this film, we find ourselves amidst a group of teenagers ringing in New Year’s Eve. Eli (Jaeden Martell) is smitten with Laura (Rachel Zegler), the popular girl at school, and his friend Danny (Julian Dennison) urges him to express his feelings. Their characters follow a well-trodden pattern common in high school films. However, when such themes have been explored repeatedly, what’s the appeal of revisiting them?
In essence, what distinguishes this film is its unique blend of apocalyptic setting, reminiscent of “This is the End”, and the youthful exuberance typical of “Superbad”. However, unlike those comedies which were successful in their humor and featured Seth Rogen, this movie falls short. The initial scenes give a hint of what’s to come: a string of jokes that fail to resonate. It seems as though it’s overtly aiming to be an amusing teen flick, from the dramatic slow motion to the carefully selected soundtracks. Every aspect feels contrived and deliberate instead of being a natural outgrowth of the scenario.
Initially, the first thirty minutes follow a typical teen comedy formula, minus the humor. However, when Y2K rolls around, the film takes a turn, becoming something quite distinct. Computers begin to assault humans, resulting in extremely graphic deaths that border on the surreal – picture Final Destination on steroids. The movie initially leans into the absurdity of these gruesome scenes, but later pulls back. Regrettably, there aren’t enough entertaining kill sequences for a film like this. Yet, I hoped the overall chaos would feel wild and excessive. However, Mooney struggles with directing the acting performances.
In this year’s film Anora, Sean Baker skillfully orchestrates a chaotic scene. Interestingly, director Mooney insists that each character waits for their turn to speak, which can make the dialogue feel staged and less authentic when portraying a chaotic scenario. When characters converse independently, the chaos appears dull, lacking the spontaneity one would expect from such an unstable situation, instead resembling lines from a script that actors rigidly follow. The screenplay exhibits puzzling choices, like inserting a dramatic moment that belongs in a high-budget action movie early on in the film. Ultimately, this movie struggles with its tone, as it juxtaposes heavy themes such as death with humor, creating an uneven and confusing viewing experience. For instance, we encounter a grave and somber death scene followed by a humorous one, which feels out of place, especially when handling the sensitive topic of teenage deaths. The movie’s inconsistency in tone is disappointing, making it difficult to grasp its intended emotional impact.
As a gamer, I’ve got to say Y2K left me feeling flat. This film promises to be a riot, but instead, it felt like a quiet library. The dialogue feels monotonous, lacking depth or emotion that could resonate with viewers. It’s as if they were trying to make a serious movie while also aiming for comedy, and the blend just didn’t work out.
The poor humor and direction in this movie made it feel more like an ill-conceived sci-fi thriller. Watching Y2K became such a torturous experience that at one point during the climax, I considered leaving the theater. However, I had to endure it to write a review, so I stayed put, suffering through it. There were numerous instances of humor that I question whether they could even be classified as jokes. If the year 2000 appeared anything like this, I’m grateful it’s history.
SCORE: 1/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 1 equates to “Awful.”
ComingSoon seldom hands out poor ratings, usually saving them for video games that have issues or aren’t worth watching due to a lack of any notable positive aspects.
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2024-12-06 16:40