MIFF 2023 Film Review - Time Bomb Y2K

Images courtesy of Common State.

Ah, the late 1990’s. An illustrious era marked by the dot com boom and the rise of the digital age – often romanticised by a collective sense of boundless wonder and limitless possibility post-Cold War, or when boy bands roamed the earth. A space in time free from the anxieties of the modern day, or so one might think. Brian Becker and Marley McDonald’s Time Bomb Y2K delivers an earnest archival examination, unraveling the intricacies of the Y2K phenomenon – delving deep into the global anticipation for a potential digital doomsday. So enough with the nostalgic glorification, it’s time to take off the rose-coloured Oakleys and get ready for the end of the world.

Drawing solely upon a meticulous curation of newscasts, interviews and amateur video, Becker and McDonald present a brilliantly insightful account which shines light upon the period’s cataclysmic anxieties; fuelled by a burgeoning survivalist movement and televangelists prophesying the end of days. Through this compelling lens, Time Bomb Y2K masterfully captures the exuberant hopefulness of the 90’s being rapidly eclipsed by a mutual sense of trepidation as the new millennium nears – aptly illustrating a layered complexity to a long forgotten footnote in history.

What is most striking is how it unveils such distinctive paralleled similarities between the apprehensions of then, and now. As the deadline approaches, political talking heads attempt to quell the growing mass hysteria – ultimately hindered by fringe groups and televangelists propagating sensationalised narratives to stoke the flames of uncertainty. Does that sound oddly familiar? Becker and McDonald eloquently navigate the narrative to showcase long-overlooked lessons of the past, serving as a stark reminder of how misinformation and fear can adversely shape public discourse. The rise of the Mail Order Militia and Jerry Falwell’s continual apocalyptic proclamations resonate powerfully in our current age beset by digital misinformation and polarized beliefs.

However, Time Bomb Y2K doesn’t just serve as a mere snapshot of a forgotten historical footnote often looked back upon with derision. Instead, it seeks to acknowledge the diligence of experts recognising a potential threat spawned by excessive corporate frugality, who through their dedicated efforts managed to avert a potential computer-induced global catastrophe which merely broke down bus ticket validation machines in Adelaide. It’s important to remember that this was not merely media sensationalism, but very much a crisis averted. The millennium bug wasn’t feigned; it was squashed.

Bolstered by a score which expertly echoes Tangerine Dream’s ethereal soundscapes and the cyber-noir aesthetic of Hackers, Becker and McDonald have crafted an immersive and highly thought-provoking archival exploration worthy of anyone’s time. Ultimately Time Bomb Y2K serves not  only to chronicle a unique point in our technological evolution, but poignantly portray a well-rounded delineation of the limitless of new human connection – for better or for worse. Mass hysteria, it’s a magical mysteria. 

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Time Bomb Y2K is screening as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, running in metro cinemas August 3-20 and online August 18-27.

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