A24’s latest film, Y2K, takes us on a fun adventure back in time. For some, this movie will raise deeply felt nostalgic memories, while for others, it might introduce concepts that seem completely alien. As a person who has a pretty good memory of the clock striking midnight on New Year’s Eve 1999, I definitely fall into the latter category. And so, I’m excited to guide fellow readers through the seven best late ’90s/early oughts references that caught my eye in Y2K. Whether you’re reliving the good old days with me or just trying to figure out what the heck they were doing with those gaming cartridges, let’s go on this adventure.
Y2K Nails The AIM Experience
Can you feel AIM in your heart? I bet you can. The loading AOL screen, the ding-ding of a new message, the sudden appearance of an away message. Y2K will bring all those sensations right back to you in fine fashion. From those iconic noises, which will surely have your fingers itching to check which chat box has lit up, to getting the AIM screenname format exactly right, Y2K fully recaptures the AIM experience. My AIM name (which made the leap to Twitter) was Moondancer1626, stack that up against the screennames of the main characters in the story (KoolE100, DDragon1983, and RoxyGurl20) and, yep, that’s a direct hit. It made me smile to see. And, of course, who could forget the multicolored, random, quote-filled, sometimes passive-aggressive cadence of an away message? Y2K certainly hasn’t. Do you remember your best one? I bet you will after you watch this movie. There were a lot of great references to ‘90s experiences crystallized in Y2K, but this one has to be up there with our very favorites.
Y2K Understood That ‘70s Show’s Kelso was a ’90s Guiding Light
Hanging out… down the street… Hello Wisconsin!! And hello, basically every kid that grew up during the late ‘90s and into the early oughts. That ‘70s Show wasn’t even my thing… and somehow, I’ve watched a ton of its episodes. And, of course, who was more iconic, crushed on by guys, gals, and nonbinary babes everywhere, than one Michael Kelso, played into TV history by Ashton Kutcher. A little dim, but with great hair, Y2K continues the legacy of Kelso on into this generation as he helps Eli and Danny find the courage they need to embrace the life they want. We bet there will be some ‘90s kids reliving their youth with this Easter egg and some Gen Z-ers discovering exactly why this was one of Y2K’s best references to the early 2000s.
The Film Spotlights Blowing on Game Cartridges
A nerdy rite of passage… If you were alive at the time. As some of you may know, blowing on cartridges was the ritual of choice to get a malfunctioning game to work. And even though the idea that blowing on the game helped anything was a total myth and quite possibly damaging to the cartridge, we love that Y2K thought to include this detail. This reference pertains very specifically to a geeky kind of gamer, one that many of us probably see in the mirror. These days, there aren’t even cartridges left to unadvisedly blow on! But we haven’t forgotten. Kudos to Y2K for giving new life to an old ‘90s tradition.
Those Chunky ’90s Computers Starred in Y2K
Remember just how big computers were? We bet you just thought you did. But for a lorge flashback, all you have to do is get yourself to Y2K. Yeah, they were thick… and they certainly weren’t going anywhere with you… Unless they somehow achieved sentience and tried to kill you and all your friends… Uhhh, we hope not. But, in any case, seeing such a large computer makes us grin kind of wistfully, especially as it whirs to life with the sound of the internet.
One of our favorite parts of Y2K though, was when Eli thought his computer might be different than the other tech. It was his computer, after all. Didn’t it know him? Didn’t it see his heart? But alas, in the end, it was bloodthirsty for human flesh just like the rest. Still, the affinity for your computer is so relatable. Not just a great ‘90s reference in Y2K, but a reference that’s right for every age.
The Music of the ’90s/Early Oughts Moment Is All Over The Y2K
No matter what kind of ‘90s kid/early oughts clique you were in Y2K has collected the perfect musical reference for you. We loved hearing Limp Bizkit, Korn, Fatboy Slim, Mandy Moore, Semisonic, Chumbawamba, and more in this iconic movie. Music has such a strong sense memory and we bet hearing some of these ‘90s/early ought hits in Y2K took you back to some of the best parts of your life. And if you heard these great ’90s/early oughts artists in Y2K and didn’t recognize any of the bands, rectify this immediately!
Y2K Nail the ’90s Rite of Passage Waiting for a Screen to Load
One pixel at a time, baby! Anyone who had sloooow internet, the kind of slow that is unimaginable these days, even at the internet’s slowest, knows the agony of having to wait an age for a page to load. Is it going? Is it going? And then a whoop of excitement when just a little more of the website loads. That’s definitely a ‘90s kid experience captured to perfection by Y2K. Kids these days, they just don’t know how it was. (Are we old?)
Seeing Your Crush In a Crowded Living Room
Okay, so kids likely see their crush in a crowded living room today, though probably through the lens of a million kinds of tech and in the glow of many phones. There’s something just truly specific about the house party scene in Y2K. The music playing, the flow of the room, the set up of all the groups hanging out in different corners. And, of course, the object of your affection leaning up against the kitchen counter with… someone else. But hey, we get knocked down, but we get up again. Somehow, Y2K managed to dive deep into the halls of all our memories and surface something so specific to a time and place.
And that’s not all she wrote folks. For even more delightful ’90s and early ought references including beanies, calisthenics, tamagotchis, and more, head to the theater to see Y2K.
