TIME BOMB Y2K

Synopsis: As the clock counts down to the dawn of the 21st century, the world faces the largest potential technological disaster to ever threaten humanity. The problem is comically simple yet incredibly complex – a bug that could cause computers to misinterpret the year 2000 as 1900, sowing chaos throughout the world as electronic systems failed. Crafted entirely through archival footage, TIME BOMB Y2K is a prescient and often humorous tale about the power and vulnerabilities of technology. By re-appraising both the cooperative efforts and mass hysteria surrounding this millennial milestone, TIME BOMB Y2K explores how modern life has been dramatically transformed by the digital revolution.

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HBO’s TIME BOMB Y2K

The most hyped fearmongering moment of the end of the 20th century began in the few years before the ball dropped on Dec 31st, 1999. I was a freshman in college when Y2K was all the craze. The media had us believing we were on the brink of global collapse and that anything housing a computer chip would cease to work. In reality, nothing happened. But the concept of Y2K feels much more apocalyptic today.

TIME BOMB Y2K consists entirely of archival footage. Interviews with experts and talking heads at the time give the audience a perfect insight into how fringe groups thrive today. The pure wonder of new technology on the faces of those featured is fantastic nostalgia for those of us who lived through those few years. Anyone born after Y2K might find the doc either shocking or terrifying. Putting things into perspective as we enter into 2024, if the global internet went down, there would be genuine chaos. What would keyboard warriors do without the ability to share their BS and vitriol? In all seriousness, we exist in a capitalist economy that leans heavily on wifi and online presence. What would younger generations do without practical skills? How would it affect our ability to access money? Would modern vehicles start? Entertainment outside of live theatre would disappear.

TIME BOMB Y2K makes terrific points about the effects of technology on human interaction. The film delves into how certain groups of people reacted during the unknown. Some folks became preppers, while others cried “Hoax” from the beginning. It’s a perfect metaphor for the power of disinformation, closely mirroring how a particular subsection of alt-right people think a homegrown militia uprising is coming. I had no idea this existed in preparation for Y2K. We have to take into consideration how the world reacted during COVID. The potential for violence equals the potential for peace. It is a fine line.

If anything, TIME BOMB Y2K reminds us of the delicate balance of power. It introduces very fundamental questions about humanity’s ability to survive without technology. It’s a dizzying dichotomy of ideas, perhaps proving nothing has changed, and it’s only gotten worse. It’s a sobering conversation starter.

The HBO Original documentary TIME BOMB Y2K, directed by Brian Becker and Marley McDonald, and executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Penny Lane (HBO’s “Listening to Kenny G”), debuts SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.