A24’s microsite is a throwback to Windows 98
The production company has created a website for the launch of its new film, Y2K, that riffs on the UI design of the era
Kyle Mooney’s new disaster comedy, Y2K, is a spin on the digital meltdown that was anticipated by some in 1999, when it was feared that upon entering the year 2000, a computer-led apocalypse would ensue. Though some software did struggle with the arrival of the new millennium, it was comically overblown compared to the actual fallout. In the film, which kicks off on New Year’s Eve 1999, we’re shown what it might have looked like if the fears had become a reality.
To promote the film’s release, movie studio A24 has launched a microsite that whisks you back to 1999 with an era-inspired computer GUI. The blueprint appears to be Windows 98, which is presumably what Mooney refers to as “the greatest operating system ever made” in a text file available on the microsite.
Expect skeuomorphic icons and an instant messenger complete with personalisable statuses. The design style might hark back to the turn of the millennium but the experience comes with some modern accoutrements. The Smarter Child-style chatbot is powered by modern-day AI and a playlist of (mostly) 90s hits can be updated by linking it to your Spotify account.
There are of course nods to the film itself too – it’s a promotional tool after all – in the form of a trailer saved as a desktop file. It’s playful yet simple, which seems to encapsulate the filmmaker’s description of the experience: “This site is basically a portal back to 1999, when the internet was dial-up and life was simpler.”
