Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: Y2K [South By Southwest Film Festival 2024 - Austin, Texas]
The aspect of retroactive fiction is how much one can see the satire and laugh at a situation. However it stll needs to follow the balance of tone. With "Y2K" [Headliner], director Kyle Mooney of SNL fame tries to blend this tone between comedy and disaster but this is very different from his film "Brigsby Bear" (which he co-wrote and starred in -- and which INSIDE REEL talked to him for at Cannes). "Y2K" is more broad but a dark connection runs underneath it (though it only comes truly out at select times). However trying to see how the young characters connect (as well as the actors playing them) is tricky. The stars of the film are the tech that rebels and (ironically) Fred Durst of Limp Biskit (at times). Like "Road House" it is a bit of stunt casting and works at points. Durst leans into it but considering his turns as a director, it is crucial that he leans into the persona on screen and knows what the tone is. The writing is good but it depends where it will land with some viewers in theaters.
Jaeden Martell, who played the young Bill in the "It" films seems a bit lost but that might be the character. Jullian Dennison as his friend fares much better. There is obviously a bit of "Superbad" in the reference with the house party being the catalyst for what is transpiring. That said, the movie is pretty much nearly stolen by Mooney himself as a video store clerk who leans into the chaos of the apocalypse and acts almost like a chorus for the bedlam that is occuring until a certain point. Again, his humor is very specific and stoner but likely will hit with audiences looking for that angle from him. Festival crowds are often harder to judge because they are enamoured by the situation or are completely connected to the production in many (or at least some) ways. That said, it continues the predilection of A24 doing some interesting original productions (even if this is more derivative than say "I Saw The TV Glow" which is also playing at SXSW after premiering at Sundance). "It Lives Inside" (anoither A24 film that premiered at Sundance) is more parallel in tone though more efficient. Rachel Zegler as Laura is more the Emma Stone role from "Superbad:" and a little bit of a letdown after "Songbirds" and "West Side Story". She plays the part admirably but it is interesting because she has played more grown up roles but is still fairly young. One just would think she would go for a more prominent awards approach though this film might have seemed fun. The creatures and the way that is played is probbably the most fun and effective.
Created by WETA, they seem more practical than any kind of CG enhancement. "Meet The Feebles" likely influenced Mooney though he was only 13 when Y2K happened. While the later bits are meant to progress the story, the beginning of the film is much stronger. The latter half wants to feel mythic but the story points are almost too much or not enough. There are some interesting cameos including another by Alicia Silvertone who is finding some new life in cult films although this is much different from her more severe and dark "Krazy House" that premiered this year at Sundance. "Y2K" is a fun romp but might be too outside the vernacular to make a dent. Its references are antiquated. For those of us that were there for Y2K (I was in NYC celebrating), its possibility and the fear was realistic so the inference of what this is makes sense. But for those moviegoers in their early 20s (Zegler was born after 2000 for example), it will be interesting to see the reaction since they never quite experienced it. B-
By Tim Wassberg
