“Don’t Look Up” film review

Don’t Look Up is a film that blends genres, with both drama and comedy.  It was just nominated for Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars and has received a lot of critical acclaim.  The film is about a comet that is on trajectory to destroying the planet.  In the film, politicians and some of the media don’t listen to the scientists, while pretending there is nothing to worry about.  The themes of a global crisis parallels with the climate crisis in our world and some of the responses to it.  The comedic tone in the context of this premise creates a sense of cynicism and satire, which is there to entertain and create contrast. This has entertained an audience but does not appeal to everyone.

Having a cast of A-list actors creates an interest in the film before even watching the trailer.  An ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tyler Perry, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, and many more actors generates huge publicity and endorses the message of the film.  Some of these performers have been very outspoken about issues in our world like Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep who have done a lot of work for the climate. 

This film also comments on pop culture, social media, and the tech world.  There is a scene with Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi singing about the crisis.  There is also a tech company CEO who tries to manipulate the crisis for his own gain.  Mark Zuckerberg has a quote; “ By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent.”  I could see this quote used as satire in the film.  Social media gives us a platform to share our voice in the world.  However, as we see in the film, not everything is transparent, even with the ability to post online.

Many people I know have watched the films, it has appealed to many age groups and created discussions.  It is not often that a film is released and instantly garners this much attention.  Since the film was released soon on Netflix, it was able to reach many viewers, and because of the ensemble celebrity cast it appealed to a large audience. 

The film uses the possibility of the comet destroying the planet as a metaphor for climate change.  This is not a comedic topic, yet the use of comedy in the film was a storytelling choice.  Serious subject matter told in this tone creates a juxtaposition that is disturbing.  I  

The film creates comedy around a disastrous premise, and that style does not appeal to everyone.  I am not the biggest fan of satire and would prefer to watch a serious drama on this subject matter.  However, I know many people have connected to this film through the comedic tone, it has been able to entertain many people.  Whether you like the film style or not, watching it provokes many thoughts and conversations.  I do feel like I would have been more interested in watching a film that was directly about climate change and didn’t need to use a metaphor of the comet to talk about the topic that is affecting our planet.

Don’t Look Up film poster