Honestly, walking into a theater for an A24 movie usually means you're prepping for a psychological breakdown or a quiet, existential crisis in a field. But Kyle Mooney’s Y2K is basically the opposite of that. It is a loud, gory, dial-up disaster that asks a very specific question: what if the Millennium Bug actually decided to murder everyone?
To pull off a "what if" that ridiculous, you need a cast that can handle the pivot from a 1999 high school party to a "machines are wearing human faces" nightmare. The cast of Y2K is a bizarre, brilliant mix of Gen Z heavy hitters, '90s icons, and—for some reason—the lead singer of Limp Bizkit. It shouldn't work. Most of the time, it actually does.
The Losers at the Center of the Apocalypse
At the heart of the chaos, we have Jaeden Martell playing Eli. You probably remember him as the stuttering leader from It or the kid in Knives Out, but here he’s just a shy nerd trying to get a New Year’s Eve kiss. Martell is great at that "vulnerable but capable" vibe, which is lucky because he spends half the movie running from sentient tamagotchis and rogue VCRs.
Then there's Julian Dennison as Danny, Eli’s best friend. If you haven't seen Hunt for the Wilderpeople, go watch it. Dennison brings that same dry, New Zealand humor to a suburban American setting. He’s the hype man. He’s the one pushing Eli to talk to his crush, even as the world starts ending. Their chemistry is basically the only thing keeping the movie grounded when the blenders start flying.
🔗 Read more: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground
Rachel Zegler and the "Dream Girl" Problem
Rachel Zegler stars as Laura, the girl Eli is obsessed with. Zegler is everywhere right now—West Side Story, The Hunger Games, and soon Snow White. In Y2K, she’s playing a "cool girl" who is also secretly a massive tech geek.
Some critics have pointed out that her character feels a bit like a "written by a guy" fantasy—she’s the homecoming queen and a master hacker—but Zegler plays it with enough sincerity that you kind of stop caring about the logic. She’s the one who actually figures out how to fight back against the "Amalgamation" (the hive-mind AI that takes over the tech).
That Supporting Cast Is Actually Insane
The most "A24" thing about this movie isn't the cinematography; it's the fact that they managed to get Fred Durst to play himself. Not a parody of himself. Just Fred Durst, wandering around the late '90s. It is deeply weird. He looks a little out of place next to the younger actors, but in a movie about the year 1999, having the guy who sang "Nookie" there feels like a necessary piece of the set design.
💡 You might also like: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever
- The Kid Laroi: He plays "Soccer Chris," the douchey popular guy who is Eli’s rival for Laura’s affection. He’s surprisingly good at being unlikable.
- Eduardo Franco: You know him as Argyle from Stranger Things. He plays Farkas here, bringing that same stoner energy that Kyle Mooney clearly loves.
- Alicia Silverstone & Tim Heidecker: They play the parents (Robin and Howard). Seeing the girl from Clueless play a "mom" in a movie about the era she defined is a trip.
Why the Cast of Y2K Matters for the Genre
Usually, disaster movies have scientists or grizzled soldiers. This one has a bunch of kids who are just trying to get through a house party. Kyle Mooney—who directed and also stars as a VHS store clerk named Garrett—clearly wanted to lean into the "stoner comedy" roots of the early 2000s.
The movie premiered at SXSW and the reviews were... let's say "mixed." It’s currently sitting around a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. People are split. Some love the audacity of a $15 million budget being spent on a movie where a kid's head gets microwaved by a sentient appliance. Others think the tonal shift from "teen comedy" to "sci-fi horror" is too jarring.
But honestly? That’s why the cast works. You need actors like Mason Gooding and Lachlan Watson who can play the tropes straight before the blood starts spraying. If they didn't sell the high school drama in the first thirty minutes, the horror in the last hour would just feel like a cheap gimmick.
📖 Related: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
What to Watch Next if You Liked the Cast
If you walked away from Y2K wanting more of this specific ensemble, there are a few places to go.
Jaeden Martell is excellent in Metal Lords on Netflix if you want more of that "outcast" energy. Julian Dennison is a legend in Deadpool 2, obviously. And if you’re here for the "A24 horror-comedy" vibe but want something a bit more polished, Bodies Bodies Bodies is the natural next step.
If you want to track down the film itself, it hit theaters in December 2024 and is now circulating on VOD platforms like Amazon and Apple. It’s also likely headed to Max soon, given the deal A24 has with them.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Night
- Check the VOD stores: Since the theatrical run is mostly over, look for it on digital rental platforms.
- Watch the credits: The soundtrack is a 1999 time capsule—Fatboy Slim, Chumbawamba, and Korn. It’s worth a listen on Spotify.
- Don't expect "Hereditary": Go in expecting a bloody, weird, Kyle Mooney sketch stretched into a feature film. You'll have a much better time.
The cast of Y2K isn't trying to win Oscars here. They’re trying to survive a sentient toaster. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need on a Friday night.