Since the early 1800s, scientists believe humans have continued to have a major influence on the world we live in. Something that shouldn’t be up for debate has plagued politics and social issues for decades. Locked in a tug of war over facts and theories, humans spend While many, to this today, deny the effects humans are playing in the destruction of planet Earth, the signs are very clear. some climate change. When it comes to facing the hard truth about natural disasters, humans turn a blind eye underneath the disguise of ignorance. In Adam McKay’s latest film, Don’t Look Up, the comedic filmmaker brings together an all-star cast to do what scientists couldn’t.
The film, features Leo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, and Meryl Streep. With a billing this huge, McKay was sure to attract all audiences for his old man warning of Pompeii-like event. The films seem really tone-deaf in the handling of their plot and underlining sub-topics. With the impending doom circling around Earth, the film manages to get caught in the storm.
The film goes as follows: astronomy professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his Ph.D. student, Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers how the bloodline of all living things will cease to exist on Earth by way of a comet. The killer? The comet’s trajectory will lead to a direct collision with Earth in a little over six months. Yes, just six months to get your house in order. After being blown off by Trump 2.0 in President Orlean (Meryl Streep), the two go on a media press tour to warn Earth of its coming doom.
Despite a very strong performance from Leo and JLaw showcasing their comedic skills, their co-star’s over-the-top acting threatens a film worth caring about. Self-absorbed news anchors (Tyler Perry & Cate Blanchett) is one of the lowest points in the film. Their love/affair/sex co-workers plotline does nothing but shows why Tyler Perry should just stick to embarrassing black film tropes.
Most of the characters feed on the myth of Americans being dumbed, worn-out meat bags. Maybe during his SNL writing days, Adam McKay could have made this work, but a big-budget Netflix film like this doesn’t work. Another subplot is one that showcases the world’s obsession with celebs relationships. Ariana Grande and Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi) play whatever celebrity couple is trending right now as I write this. They are brought back together for reasons I can’t really recall and are not important to the plot of the story.
President Orlean teams up with the film’s version of Apple and Tim Cook. Peter Isherwell, the founder of tech company BASH, is played by Mark Rylance. Together, like any good US President, they beat out other countries in a race to nuke the comet. As predictable as the sunrise, they fail and the rest of the world realizes just how right Mindy and Dibiasky were.
One of the best overarching themes of the film is how the world reacts to the comet. People troll the scientists, make memes out of them and regard climate change as just politics. The reaction from the people in the film are portrayals of real-life and a glimpse into how we deal with an outcome like this. In real fashion, Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance, and the 1% escape in a ship as the Earth is reduced ash. The film ends with the worst of the worst looking for a new planet. If for just the light humor, the film shapes up to be a little time-waster. What could have been a great message for all ages ended up becoming what they were making fun of.
