Y2K (2024 film)

American film by Kyle Mooney

Y2K

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Kyle Mooney
Written by|

* Kyle Mooney
* Evan Winter

Produced by|

* Jonah Hill
* Matt Dines
* Allison Goodwin
* Christopher Storer
* Cooper Wehde
* Evan Winter

Starring|

* Jaeden Martell
* Julian Dennison
* Rachel Zegler
* Daniel Zolghadri
* Lachlan Watson
* Eduardo Franco
* Mason Gooding
* Kyle Mooney
* Fred Durst

Cinematography| Bill Pope
Edited by| David Marks
Music by|

* Danny Bensi
* Saunder Jurriaans

Production
companies

* A24
* Strong Baby Productions
* American Light & Fixture

Distributed by| A24

Release dates

* March 9, 2024 (2024-3-9) (SXSW)
* December 6, 2024 (2024-12-6) (United States)

Running time

| 93 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $15 million[1]
Box office| $4.4 million[2][3]

Y2K is a 2024 American apocalyptic science fiction comedy horror film[4][5] directed by Kyle Mooney in his directorial debut, written by Mooney and Evan Winter. It stars Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Rachel Zegler, Daniel Zolghadri, Lachlan Watson, Eduardo Franco, Mason Gooding, Mooney and Fred Durst. It follows a group of high school students who attempt to survive when the year 2000 problem causes all technology worldwide to come to life and turn against humanity.

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2024, and was theatrically released by A24 in the United States on December 6, 2024. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb grossing $4.4 million against a budget of $15 million.[6]

## Plot

[edit]

In 1999, best friends Eli, Danny, and Garrett discuss plans for New Year's Eve while their parents are out. Eli has a crush on his classmate Laura, but is too nervous to talk to her despite Danny's encouragment to kiss her at midnight. They watch as Laura and her friends Trevor, Madison, and Raleigh sneak out some alcohol and decide to crash a party held by Soccer Chris, Laura's boyfriend. While partying, Eli watches in dismay as Chris and Laura kiss at midnight until the power suddenly goes out.

As a student is found dead with a piece of a fan lodged in his head, a toy car arrives on its own and burns Trevor's face with a hairspray and a lighter, killing him. The terrified partygoers realize that all technology have become sentient and attempt to leave, but many of them are gruesomely killed. In the ensuing chaos, a VCR smashes Madison's head with a VHS tape, Chris' head is melted by a microwave, and a Tamagotchi drills through Raleigh's head. Eli, Danny, and Laura escape with juvenile delinquents Farkas, CJ, and Ash, but Danny is fatally impaled by a blade and Farkas dies when he hits the ground while attempting to rail a broken pole on his skates.

The group go to an old mill without electricity while the sentient machines kill several residents throughout the town. They also find Garrett and Laura's ex-boyfriend Jonas, and learn the threat is a collective consciousness of all electronic devices worldwide planning to enslave humanity. Laura successfully creates a kill code to shut down the algorithm, now dubbed itself as the "Amalgamation", but a computer attacks her. Eli douses it in water, shutting it down. The group is then cornered by the Amalgamation, who is using electronics to make itself bigger. Garrett tries to fend it off, but is decapitated. The group hide in portable toilets and ride them down a hill. They take refuge in a VHS store and meet musician Fred Durst, whom they encourage to join.

The group arrives at the local high school where, they learn, the machines are due to a new internet connection installed. They sneak inside and discover the townspeople have been reduced to mindless slaves by brain-implanted chips. CJ sacrifices himself to save Fred from a machine while the group learn the Amalgamation has now grown to a monstrous size and is forcing people inside it, converting them to the aforementioned slaves. Fred, Ash, and Jonas distract the machines guarding the townspeople to let Laura make her way into the Amalgamation, but it electrocutes her. Eli arrives in time to save Laura and attempt to insert the kill code himself, but fails to do so as the Amalgamation keeps electrocuting and mocking them. Eli then uses a condom Danny had given him earlier and wraps it around Laura's hand like a protective glove. While Fred, Ash, and Jonas continue distracting the machines, Eli and Laura successfully insert the kill code, shutting down the algorithm worldwide, destroying the Amalgamation. Eli shares a kiss with Laura and they reunite with the surviving townspeople as dawn breaks.

Five years later, in 2005, a now college-aged Eli, Laura, and Ash visit their friends' graves. While they leave the cemetery, Ash's new iPod starts to glitch, revealing that the algorithm has not been fully destroyed.

## Cast

[edit]

* Jaeden Martell as Eli
* Rachel Zegler as Laura
* Julian Dennison as Danny
* Daniel Zolghadri as CJ
* Lachlan Watson as Ash
* Eduardo Franco as Farkas
* Fred Durst as himself
* Kyle Mooney as Garrett
* Mason Gooding as Jonas
* Charlton Howard as Soccer Chris
* Miles Robbins as Nugz
* Alicia Silverstone as Robin
* Tim Heidecker as Howard
* Jacob Moskovitz as Trevor
* Lauren Balone as Raleigh
* Ellie Ricker as Madison
* Kevin Mangold as Cool Blue
* Sage Sedlacek as Aubrey[7]

## Production

[edit]

It was announced in early March 2023 that Kyle Mooney would direct Y2K for A24. Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Rachel Zegler, Lachlan Watson, Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi, Eduardo Franco, Miles Robbins, Fred Hechinger, Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker and Daniel Zolghadri joined the cast. Additionally, Weta Workshop worked on the effects for the film.[8] In April 2023, Sebastian Chacon and Lauren Balone joined the cast.[9]

Principal photography began in April 2023 in Ringwood, New Jersey.[10][11] The following month, filming continued in Ringwood and Chatham Borough and in Clark at the recreation center, before wrapping.[12][13]

### Music

[edit]

Y2K

Soundtrack album by

various artists

Released| January 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)
Label| A24 Music

The soundtrack for Y2K comprises a number of songs from the 1990s; the soundtrack album is scheduled to be released on CD on January 17, 2025.[14]

Y2K soundtrack track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Performer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Praise You"|

* Camille D. Yarbrough
* Norman Cook

| Fatboy Slim|
2.| "Tubthumping"|

* Alice Nutter
* Allan Whalley
* Darren Hamer
* Dunstan Bruce
* Judith Abbott
* Louise Watts
* Nigel Hunter
* Paul Greco

| Rachel Zegler, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, and Jaeden Martell|
3.| "Candy"|

* Denise Rich
* Denny V
* Dave Katz

| Mandy Moore|
4.| "9 PM (Till I Come)" (radio edit)|

* André Tanneberger
* Yolanda Rivera Garrido
* Dennis Ferrer
* Julio Posadas Gilabert

| ATB|
5.| "Thong Song"|

* Desmond Child
* Mark Althavan Andrews
* Marquis Collins
* Tim Kelley
* Joseph Paul Longo
* Bob Robinson
* Robi Rosa

| Julian Dennison|
6.| "Break Stuff"|

* William Frederick Durst
* Leor Dimant
* Wesley Louden Borland
* John Everett Otto
* Sam Rivers
* Brendan O'Brien

| Limp Bizkit|
7.| "93 'til Infinity"|

* Billy Cobham
* Adam Carter
* Opio Lindsey
* Tajai Massey
* Damani Thompson

| Souls of Mischief|
8.| "Freak on a Leash"|

* Jonathan Davis
* Reginald Arvizu
* Brian Welch
* David Silveria
* James Shaffer

| Korn|
9.| "6 Underground"|

* Liam Howe
* Ian Pickering
* Chris Corner
* John Barry

| Sneaker Pimps|
10.| "Back at One"| Brian McKnight| Brian McKnight|
11.| "Faith"| George Michael| Fred Durst|
12.| "Ash and CJ Swings Freestyle"|  | Lachlan Watson and Daniel Zolghadri|
13.| "Closing Time"| Dan Wilson| Semisonic|

## Release

[edit]

It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2024.[15][16] It was released on December 6, 2024.[17]

### Home media

[edit]

The film was released video on demand on December 24, 2024.[18]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

In the United States and Canada, Y2K was released alongside Werewolves and Pushpa 2: The Rule, and was projected to gross $3–5 million from 2,108 theaters in its opening weekend.[19] The film made $923,110 on its first day, including $300,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $2.1 million, finishing in eighth.[1][20]

### Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 44% of 96 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Y2K earns points for ambition and sheer audacity, even if it struggles to keep the laughs coming while maintaining a messy tonal blend."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[22] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 65% overall positive score, with 50% saying they would definitely recommend it.[1]

Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com gave the film 1.5/4 stars, unfavorably comparing it to Brigsby Bear and concluding, "Y2K doesn't want to break stuff; it wants to dig it out of the trash and pine nostalgically for it. That's just not as interesting."[23] Variety's Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Y2K turns out to be an attack-of-the-machines movie. Yet it's still very much a period-piece high-school comedy. So how well do the two go together? In my book, not very well... the last hour of it, the cheeky dystopian alien-tech horror farce, simply isn't very good."[24]

Adrian Horton of The Guardian gave the film 3/5 stars, calling it "a promising if wildly uneven debut that banks heavily, often successfully, on Mooney's penchant for late 90s nostalgia."[25] Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro gave it a score of 4/5, writing, "While some of its meaner horror impulses get largely forgotten by the end, it's tough to mind at all thanks to the nonstop, playful tone, killer soundtrack, wacky murder bots, and talent in front of and behind the camera that ensure a party worth rewinding the clock for."[26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 8, 2024). "'Moana 2', 'Wicked' & 'Gladiator II' Driving Record Post-Thanksgiving Frame Near $132M – Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
2. ^ "Y2K (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
3. ^ "Y2K (2024) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
4. ^ Donato, Matt (March 10, 2024). "Y2K Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
5. ^ Horton, Adrian (March 10, 2024). "Y2K review – uneven disaster comedy relies on 90s nostalgia". The Guardian.
6. ^ McGloin, Matt (December 7, 2024). "Rachel Zegler's 'Y2K' Bombs At The Box Office Following Snow White Backlash". Cosmic Book News. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
7. ^ "Y2K". A24 Publicity. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
8. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 23, 2023). "A24 Sets Disaster Comedy Y2K, To Be Directed By SNL Alum Kyle Mooney; Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison & More To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
9. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 21, 2023). "Thriller 'Wrong Reasons' From EP Kevin Smith Sets Release; A24's 'Y2K,' Liam Hemsworth Actioner 'Gunner' Add To Casts; 'Desperate Souls, Dark City' Gets New Trailer – Film Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
10. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (May 6, 2023). "Y2K movie filming in Jersey stars Rachel Zegler, the N.J. actor born in 2001". NJ.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
11. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 5, 2023). "Apple Lands Jonah Hill's Keanu Reeves-Led Dark Comedy Outcome". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
12. ^ Burns, Vianella (May 10, 2023). "Two Movies Filming Throughout Chatham Borough". Patch.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
13. ^ "Lights, Camera, Action, Done: Crew Wraps Up After Filming at the Clark Recreation Center". TAPinto. May 15, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
14. ^ "Y2K Original Soundtrack CD". A24. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
15. ^ "Y2K". SXSW 2024 Schedule. February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
16. ^ Ortner-Findlay, Gianna (March 14, 2024). "SXSW 2024: 'Y2K' misses comedic mark with younger generations, leans into conspiracy theory hilarity". NTDaily.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
17. ^ "Films". A24. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
18. ^ "Y2K will be available on digital just in time for Christmas 2024". 1428 Elm. December 19, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 4, 2024). "Early December Weekend Box Office Won't Go Off A Cliff: 'Moana 2' Eyes Record $60M – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
20. ^ Rebecca Rubin (December 8, 2024). "Box Office: 'Moana 2' Scores $52 Million in Second Weekend, A24's 'Y2K' Craters With $2 Million Debut". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
21. ^ "Y2K". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
22. ^ "Y2K". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
23. ^ Worthington, Clint (December 6, 2024). "Y2K movie review & film summary (2024)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
24. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (March 10, 2024). "'Y2K' Review: A 1999 Youth Nostalgia Comedy That Turns Into… an Attack-of-the-Computers Zombie Movie. But Only the First One Is Fun". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
25. ^ Horton, Adrian (March 10, 2024). "Y2K review – uneven disaster comedy relies on 90s nostalgia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
26. ^ Navarro, Meagan (March 10, 2024). "'Y2K' SXSW Review – A24's Teen Comedy-Horror Throws a Party Worth Rewinding the Clock For". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Y2K at IMDb

*[No.]: Number