By Robert Scucci
| Printed
I hate nostalgia as a result of all of us view the previous via rose coloured glasses, and more often than not revisiting the issues we love shatters the phantasm of how “issues have been higher” again within the day as a result of they actually weren’t. We have been simply children and didn’t have important obligations or folks relying on us, so we lengthy for the times the place issues have been perceived as less complicated despite the fact that our dad and mom have been in all probability additionally shedding their minds over the identical stuff we’re freaking out over at present now that we’re all grown up. So after I went into watching A24’s Y2K, I figured this could be your typical money seize for getting older millennials to allow them to get their much-needed dose of Member Berries earlier than getting again to “adulting.”
I used to be so very incorrect in my evaluation as a result of not solely is Y2K a nuclear bomb of pointless nostalgia, it’s completely ruthless in its self-awareness, which permits it to concurrently make enjoyable of the viewers, allow them to in on the joke, after which lean into the joke so onerous that it stops being humorous, however solely earlier than coming again 10 instances tougher and leaving you gasping for breath over how profoundly idiotic it really is.
No less than this was my expertise.
Laborious To Speak About With out Spoiling
I’m going to provide the most simple rundown of Y2K, and why I feel it really works as a result of it’s structured in such a approach that I can allow you to in on the mechanics of the film with out spoiling among the huge reveals.
A gaggle of pals tries to crash a New 12 months’s Eve social gathering in 1999. At midnight, all hell breaks free when each single equipment on the social gathering goes on a homicide spree; toasters, blenders, VCRs … you title the expertise, and it’s in all probability impaling, grinding up, or smashing the faces of a bunch of harmless youngsters in probably the most brutal methods potential.
A sentient Macintosh laptop absorbs different closeby home equipment and grows right into a mega bot that hunts children down via the woods as if it have been Jason Voorhees.
A lady who embodies each single tech nerd trope of the 90s (suppose Hackers) is aware of all about mainframes, malware, and is aware of precisely take down the robotic rebellion as a result of she designed the college’s crappy web site … or one thing.
Tons of Limp Bizkit.
Like I stated, that is all so extremely silly, however that’s the purpose.
Why It Works
With out correct context (rising up within the 90s, or on the very least being conscious of what children have been into in case you have been an grownup), Y2K’s humor shall be misplaced on you, and that’s okay. However in case you’re in on the joke, you’ll understand that each single Simpsons reference and technological film trope coming from the last decade that impressed this film is executed to perfection.
After all a VCR, which isn’t linked to the web, is ready to acquire sentience as a result of it’s merely sitting close to one thing that’s linked to a modem. After all skateboards are destroying the youth. And I do know I stated no spoilers, however in fact Fred Durst will placed on his backward purple Yankees cap as if he have been Thor himself being reunited together with his hammer as a result of the day of reckoning has begun and we want a fearless hero to assist spearhead the human resistance towards the robotic rebellion.
That’s proper, we principally have a contemporary model of Chopping Mall expertise mixed with some critically chunky Nu Steel riffs, which makes all of it really feel like the whole manufacturing was sponsored by Jolt Cola.
One of the best ways to explain Y2K is a self-aware love letter to 90s nostalgia designed for individuals who completely hate this sort of factor. Whereas watching Y2K, I by no means as soon as thought to myself, “that’s low cost,” however as a substitute woke my household up on a number of events as a result of I used to be laughing so onerous on the ridiculousness of all of it– the entire film performs out like one thing our dad and mom would make for us again within the 90s in a misguided try to look cool in entrance of their children.
Your Mileage Could Differ
Pay attention, you’re both going to like Y2K or completely hate it, which is ok. However in case you’re of a sure age, lengthy for the nice previous days however can’t get previous your personal cynicism, and want chortle that’s at your expense as a result of the one approach you know the way to really feel feelings is thru self-flagellation, then you definately’re in for such a deal with.
And for everyone hating this film … I perceive. I do know full properly that that is the dumbest film that I’ve seen in a couple of decade, however it’s simply so satisfying to observe what begins out as a generic retro-futuristic teen scream film go off the rails so rapidly and proceed to shamelessly forge its personal path because it completely demolishes your expectations with every passing scene whereas each single character performs it fully straight.
Y2K is so dumb and excessive, however it’s not attempting to be anything. And for that, it has my infinite respect as a result of I’ve by no means laughed so onerous at a sci-fi “thriller” in a really very long time.
As of this writing, you’ll be able to stream Y2K on Max.
