Coming off his little-seen but largely effective feature debut Brigsby Bear, SNL alum Kyle Mooney’s sophomore feature attempts to mash up Superbad and This is the End in an apocalyptic teen comedy that fails to fully connect. Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison star as Eli and Danny, two unpopular best friends on a quest to kiss girls, and feel boobs, and stuff. After a few shots to steel their courage, the dorky but sweet pair head to the kickback at Soccer Chris’ spot, where Eli’s longtime crush Laura (Rachel Zegler) is recovering from her recent breakup. Part virginity-losing quest, part end-of-the-world action-comedy, Y2K presupposes a revisionist past where all the Y2K fear-mongering was not, in fact, misplaced. The moment the clock strikes midnight in the year 2000, the electronics throughout Chris’ house, tethered together into an apocalypse-minded singularity, band together to attack and subjugate humanity. As is often the case with high-concept comedies, it’s funny until it’s not. Read More
Out in Theaters: ‘BRIGSBY BEAR’
An acquired taste for sure, Kyle Mooney made a name for himself being an ass. From checking into kickers inside So-Cal to playing a definitely-on-the-spectrum sports reporter who’s totally out of his league, Mooney has capitalized on mocking mainstream culture, championing a keen ability to satirize entire populations by being the very dumbest version of such. Mostly by making an ass of himself. So imagine my surprise when Mooney’s brainchild Brigsby Bear (written by and starring Mooney and directed by comedy collective Good Neighbor compatriot Dave McCary) is such an earnest and heartfelt affair, if a bit simple-minded, saccharine sweet and stubbornly sunny. Read More