Those old enough to remember the final days of 1999 probably don’t think it was all that funny. The mass hysteria at the turn of the century was real, we were all too unsavvy with the Internet to know the difference between conspiracy and truth (we’re still grappling with that one), and who to say technology wouldn’t rise up in some sort of robot apocalypse? It could’ve happened! It didn’t, obviously, but Kyle Mooney has pondered what it would be like if it did with his new comedy, Y2K, which he directed and co-wrote with Evan Winter.
In Y2K, all of the worst things we imagined in 1999 come true. It just so happens to be on the night of a major party in the lives of high schoolers, and the kids must survive the technology of the era if they want to see what the 2000s are all about. The film stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, Alicia Silverstone, and Fred Durst. Yes, that Fred Durst.
It’s a fun premise that Mooney and Winter mine for a heavy dose of nostalgia (Tae-Bo, Tamagotchis, Limp Bizkit!) and apocalyptic mayhem.
I had the chance to speak with Mooney and Winter about Y2K, and this interview was a blast. Both ’90s kids themselves, the duo talked about all of the ideas they had for Y2K and the cool (and not-so-cool) collectibles that found their way into the film. But the highlight for me was when our conversation turned to the music and our love of underground hip-hop from the era.
Y2K opens in theaters on December 6th via A24. Check out the interview below.
