“Don’t Look Up” Review

By: Olivia Aragon

Spoilers Ahead

On December 5, 2021, Netflix released “Don't Look Up,” a film featuring Hollywood stars Leonardo DeCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, and many more.

The premise of the movie is that two astronomers discover a large comet and predict it will hit Earth in a fatal collision in 6 months and 14 days. The political satire is perfectly executed and the movie is hilarious to watch. The actors and actresses have great on-screen chemistry, and depict a wide range of dramatic responses to a cataclysmic scenario. Memorably, Timothée Chalamett plays a minor character: a rebel gamer who embraces the coming of the comet with existential zeal. In her starring role, Jennifer Lawrence excels in portraying her character’s emotional roller coaster throughout the film.

I also found the movie’s end refreshing. Typically, movies like this will have a happy ending, and it’s frustrating because it always diminishes their message. In “Don’t Look Up,” the creative team chose to disintegrate the entire planet as their finale. If it had gone any other way, it would have undercut the message.

Film writer Adam Mckay said that this movie was in particular reference to climate change and the US’s reaction to that impending crisis. I found it easy to see this movie as an allegory for any political issue.

“Don't Look Up” did not perform well with critics getting a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 49% on Metacritic. After watching this movie I decided to go through critical reviews to find out why "Don't Look Up" is considered a bad movie. Instead, I found a great irony. While critics regarded the film negatively, the content of their reviews seemed to reflect a misunderstanding of the film's ultimate goal.

Critical reviews specifically attacked the film’s “negative” portrayal of current attitudes. For example, Luke Goodsell of ABC News said the director of this movie, “doesn't know how to let people enjoy things—even if it is their own destruction.” Others held this similar criticism that it was too “bold” and needed to be more “subtle.”

However, a critical theme in “Don’t Look Up” is the heavy criticism of the media’s drive to cater to consumers, even when the stakes are astronomical (pun intended). Creators of “Don’t Look Up” used humor to connect with viewers, but ultimately refused to sugarcoat the apocalypse. As Jennifer Lawerence's character says, “Maybe the destruction of the entire planet isn't supposed to be fun. Maybe it's supposed to be terrifying and unsettling.”