Y2K (2024 film)

Last updated

Y2K
Y2k 2024 movie.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kyle Mooney
Written by
  • Kyle Mooney
  • Evan Winter
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Bill Pope
Edited byDavid Marks
Music by
  • Danny Bensi
  • Saunder Jurriaans
Production
companies
  • A24
  • Strong Baby Productions
  • American Light & Fixture
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • March 9, 2024 (2024-03-09)(SXSW)
  • December 6, 2024 (2024-12-06)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million [1]
Box office$4.2 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, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Fred Durst, and Alicia Silverstone. 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.

Contents

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 received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $4.2 million.

Plot

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

Production

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. [7] In April 2023, Sebastian Chacon and Lauren Balone joined the cast. [8]

Principal photography began in April 2023 in Ringwood, New Jersey. [9] [10] The following month, filming continued in Ringwood and Chatham Borough and in Clark at the recreation center, before wrapping. [11] [12]

Music

Y2K
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedJanuary 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. [13]

Release

It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2024. [14] It was released on December 6, 2024. [15]

Home media

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

Reception

Box office

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. [16] 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] [17]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 44% of 94 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10.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." [18] 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. [19] 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]

Related Research Articles

<i>Disney Princess</i> Walt Disney Company media franchise

Disney Princess, also called the Princess Line, is a media franchise and toy line owned by the Walt Disney Company. Created by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, the franchise features a lineup of female protagonists who have appeared in various Disney franchises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A24</span> American independent entertainment company

A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The company is based in Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonah Hill filmography</span>

American actor Jonah Hill is best known for his comedic roles in I Heart Huckabees (2004), The Forty Year Old Virgin (2005), Accepted (2006), Knocked Up (2007), Superbad (2007), Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), 21 Jump Street (2012), its 2014 sequel as well as This Is the End (2013). He is also known for his critically acclaimed performances in the independent dramedy Cyrus (2010), Bennett Miller's Moneyball (2011), Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained (2012), Martin Scorsese's crime film The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), the Coen Brothers comedy Hail, Caesar! (2016), and Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Mooney</span> American comedian and actor (born 1984)

Kyle James Kozub Mooney is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beck Bennett</span> American actor and comedian (born 1984)

Beck Bennett is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, joining the show for its 39th season in 2013, and leaving at the end of its 46th season in 2021. Prior to SNL, he performed in AT&T's "It's Not Complicated" commercials, in which he interviewed children, and produced sketch videos with the comedy group Good Neighbor.

<i>The Hunger Games</i> (franchise) American media franchise

The Hunger Games is a media franchise centering on a series of science fiction dystopian adventure films, based on the novel series of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The films are distributed by Lionsgate. The series feature an ensemble cast including Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. In the prequel film, Tom Blyth stars as Coriolanus Snow, Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow, Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom, Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul and Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman.

<i>Moana</i> (2016 film) Animated Disney film by John Musker and Ron Clements

Moana is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall, and produced by Osnat Shurer, from a screenplay written by Jared Bush, and based on a story conceived by Clements, Musker, Williams, Hall, Pamela Ribon, and the writing team of Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Dennison</span> New Zealand actor

Julian Dennison is a New Zealand actor. He starred in the 2013 film Shopping, for which he won the English Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is known for his roles as Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), the highest-grossing New Zealand film in history, as Russell "Firefist" Collins in Deadpool 2 (2018), and as Belsnickel in The Christmas Chronicles 2. He also played Josh Valentine in Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021 and had a leading role in the film Uproar (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaeden Martell</span> American actor (born 2003)

Jaeden Martell is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, with roles in the comedy drama St. Vincent (2014) and science fiction film Midnight Special (2016). His performance in St. Vincent earned him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. After playing the title character in the drama The Book of Henry (2017), Martell's breakthrough came with his portrayal of Bill Denbrough in the supernatural horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019). This led to further leading roles in horror films, such as The Lodge (2019) and Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kit Connor</span> English actor (born 2004)

Kit Sebastian Connor is an English actor. He gained recognition for starring as secondary school student Nick Nelson in the Netflix teen series Heartstopper (2022–present). He won the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance for the role.

<i>Calls</i> (TV series) French-American mystery thriller television miniseries

Calls is a mystery thriller analog animated miniseries created by Fede Álvarez. The show is based on a French television series of the same name created by Timothée Hochet. The series is a co-production between Apple TV+ and French network Canal+, the latter being the production company behind the original French version. It premiered on Apple TV+ on March 19, 2021. It received acclaim from critics and audiences. The series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Motion Design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachlan Watson</span> American actor (born 2001)

Lachlan Watson is an American actor, best known for playing trans boy Theo Putnam in the Netflix original series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and genderfluid twin children of Chucky, Glen and Glenda in the second season of the Syfy/USA Network original series Chucky.

<i>Low Tide</i> 2019 American film

Low Tide is a 2019 American drama film, written and directed by Kevin McMullin. It stars Keean Johnson, Alex Neustaedter, Daniel Zolghadri, Kristine Froseth, Shea Whigham, and Jaeden Martell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Zegler</span> American actress and singer (born 2001)

Rachel Zegler is an American actress and singer. She came to prominence with her film debut playing María in Steven Spielberg's musical adaptation West Side Story (2021), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

<i>Snow White</i> (2025 film) Disney live-action film

Disney's Snow White, or simply Snow White, is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action reimagining of Walt Disney Productions' 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which itself is based on the 1812 fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. The film stars Rachel Zegler, Andrew Burnap, and Gal Gadot.

<i>Spellbound</i> (2024 film) 2024 animated film directed by Vicky Jenson

Spellbound is a 2024 American animated musical fantasy comedy film directed by Vicky Jenson and co-directed by Jorge Blanco, from a screenplay by Julia Miranda and the writing team of Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, based on a story conceived by Jenson, Hynek, and Martin. It features music composed by Alan Menken, who also wrote the songs with longtime collaborator and lyricist Glenn Slater. Produced by Skydance Animation, the film features the voices of Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman. Set in the world of magic known as Lumbria, the story follows Princess Ellian (Zegler) who must break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters and split her kingdom in two.

<i>Mr. Harrigans Phone</i> 2022 film by John Lee Hancock

Mr. Harrigan's Phone is a 2022 American supernatural coming-of-age horror film film written and directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King from the collection If It Bleeds. The film stars Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell, Joe Tippett, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. It follows Craig who has a strong friendship with retired businessman John Harrigan; both get their first iPhones after the former wins a lottery. Despite the latter's death, a supernatural connection persists between them through their phones, one of which is buried alongside Harrigan.

<i>The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes</i> 2023 film by Francis Lawrence

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is a 2023 American dystopian action film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt, based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It is a prequel to The Hunger Games (2012) and the fifth installment in The Hunger Games franchise. The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis. In the film, Coriolanus Snow (Blyth) is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler), a Games tribute, as he seeks to restore his family's prosperity in Panem.

<i>I Saw the TV Glow</i> 2024 film by Jane Schoenbrun

I Saw the TV Glow is a 2024 American supernatural horror fantasy film written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun. It stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine as two troubled high school students whose connection to their favorite television show drives them to question their reality and identities. The supporting cast includes Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Conner O'Malley, Emma Portner, Ian Foreman, Fred Durst, and Danielle Deadwyler.

References

  1. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 8, 2024). "'Moana 2', 'Wicked' & 'Gladiator II' Driving Record Post-Thanksgiving Frame Near $132M – Sunday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Y2K (2024)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Y2K (2024) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  4. ↑ Donato, Matt (March 10, 2024). "Y2K Review". IGN.
  5. ↑ Horton, Adrian (March 10, 2024). "Y2K review – uneven disaster comedy relies on 90s nostalgia". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ "Y2K". A24 Publicity . Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  7. ↑ 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 . Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  8. ↑ 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 . Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kuperinsky, Amy (May 6, 2023). "Y2K movie filming in Jersey stars Rachel Zegler, the N.J. actor born in 2001". NJ.com . Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ Grobar, Matt (April 5, 2023). "Apple Lands Jonah Hill's Keanu Reeves-Led Dark Comedy Outcome". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Burns, Vianella (May 10, 2023). "Two Movies Filming Throughout Chatham Borough". Patch.com . Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Lights, Camera, Action, Done: Crew Wraps Up After Filming at the Clark Recreation Center". TAPinto . May 15, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Y2K Original Soundtrack CD". A24 . Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Y2K". SXSW 2024 Schedule. February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Films". A24. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ Rebecca Rubin (December 8, 2024). "Box Office: 'Moana 2' Scores $52 Million in Second Weekend, A24's 'Y2K' Craters With $2 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Y2K". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 4, 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  19. ↑ "Y2K". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.