A title that was on my most-anticipated upcoming horror movies list is finally here, and it’s both funny and (very) gory. Y2K is an A24 movie from SNL alum Kyle Mooney that imagines if the titular event had actually happened when the public at large ushered in the year 2000. While I was never personally afraid of that event, the movie does have a scene that actually taps into my nightmares: falling while inside a porta potty. Kyle Mooney and more spoke with CinemaBlend about filming it, and I get why co-lead Rachel Zegler wasn't into it.
In the latest scary entry in the schedule of 2024 movie releases, Jaeden Martell’s Eli finds himself trying to survive an apocalypse alongside his crush, Laura, played by Rachel Zegler. At one point, Eli and Laura hilariously and romantically lock eyes for the first time while inside a falling porta potty, after using it to hide from the technological-based monsters out to get them. Here’s what Martell had to say to me about filming the scene:
To clarify, it was mostly chocolate, which is pretty great. It was really cold though, and they kind of set this porta potty up on hydraulics and they were just shaking us around, getting the camera in from different angles. It was a pretty good time.
Martell, who famously starred in the It movies, said he had a blast performing the porta potty scene, while it makes me personally shudder every time I think about it. Director/co-writer Kyle Mooney then jumped in, saying this:
Yeah. I don't like throwing people under the bus, but I feel like Rachel really did not enjoy it… I think there were only two takes ultimately of like the interior porta potty.
While I’m happy Martell had a fun time shooting the porta potty scene, I totally get why Zegler would not be having the same reaction to shooting the scene. Even if it was in fact chocolate, getting into character to pretend poop and such is getting all over you is actually horrifying to me. Further discussing his experience shooting the sequence with me, Martell explained:
Then, what was really fun was getting in, shooting that. With the camera rig on top and then you just pop the top off. Yep. And then we had to kind of like all be in sync. We had to fake falling while the camera was going this way. But, that was really funny.
I’m happy to hear the filmmakers didn’t simply throw the cast down a hill in a porta potty. But his comments are really interesting in regard to how the scene was shot practically. Kyle Mooney also gave some major props to the movie’s cinematographer, Bill Pope, who has shot iconic movies like The Matrix and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. In Mooney’s words:
Bill Pope who shot the movie, he at some early point in the process, I didn't even remember exactly what I feel like he took like a milk carton. He like, kind of like made his own, like, 'We gotta do this.'
Y2K Trailer Delivers A Blend Of Superbad And Maximum Overdrive, And The 1999 Vibes Are Da Bomb
And that’s just one scene in Y2K. Considering the other wild scenes in the film, it's reasonable to wonder how the crew accomplished other feats like making a monstrous Tamagatchi and getting Fred Durst on board. All of those creative choices, though, contribute to a flick that's as scary as it is funny.
Kyle Mooney's directorial debut has been lauded for its "painfully accurate" portrayal of the '90s teen experience, yet it's mostly been met with mixed responses from critics. Nevertheless, CinemaBlend’s Y2K review awarded it a 4 out of 5 stars. Believe me when I say, the movie is fun, and the the porta potty scene alone still makes it worth the price of admission. So check it out in theaters now and also dream about this amazingly nostalgic popcorn bucket idea from A24 with us.
