The computers look clunky, the haircuts dorky and the Backstreet Boys are asked for a quote about imminent Armageddon. Hey, the past is a foreign country – they do things hilariously there.

Time Bomb Y2K works mostly because it keeps a straight face, acknowledging that, even if a lot of the hysteria seems silly now, the anxiety was quite real back then.

“Time Bomb” makes a persuasive case that in a media culture where the squeakiest wheels get the grease, there seemed to be little caution about platforming those crying wolf in the most provocative terms, and no real penalty for being conspicuously wrong.

Time Capsule Y2K is a more accurate title for this all-archival documentary that looks back at the fears and preparations for computer operations transitioning to the year 2000. It's not a bad movie, but it could've been better with hindsight interviews.