The new political satire film Don’t Look Up hit Netflix right before the end of 2021. It depicts the lead-up to an apocalyptic event that will end life on Earth as we know it, and it's coming in 6 months. Directed by Adam McKay, best known for his work on Vice (2018), it features a well-known cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep.
Don’t Look Up starts off with the discovery of the extinction-level event when doctoral candidate Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) discovers a comet and begins calculating its path with her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio). When their calculations show that the comet has a direct path to Earth, they realize that this comet is going to end all life on Earth. Dibiasky and Dr. Mindy attempt to inform the President of the United States (Streep) about the problem and potential solutions, but she rejects their proposal to begin mass movement of programs attempting to alter the path of the comet. The scientist pair learns that they must push their own campaign to get through to a population that clearly doesn’t care about impending doom.
Don’t Look Up is long, coming in at 2 hours and 18 minutes. The movie has sections that felt repetitive and dragged out, and the satirical humor wasn’t that successful. I found some lines to be funny, but I only laughed out loud maybe twice. The movie is still enjoyable, but the humor was not why I kept watching.
I most enjoyed that the presentation of the government and powerful personnel was more realistic than I expected. The fact the President cares more about maintaining political power and keeping donors happy rather than dealing with real problems is incredibly realistic. Later in the movie, the President reveals a plan to redirect the comet and mine it for minerals to gain more money and push capitalistic policies that keep her wealthy and in power.
The other aspects of the movie are decent. The music, cinematography and CGI are all fine; while none of it stands out, they aren't bad and work to keep the movie going. I found the use of a shaky handheld camera during times of distress and frustration a really good directive move. The acting is very good, with Lawrence and DiCaprio delivering believable characters. The supporting cast includes actors Timothée Chalamet, Rob Morgan, and Cate Blanchett, to name a few.
This movie pushes a distinct view of politics and reality that many may find unfunny or too realistic to be entertaining. The way the government works within the movie is extremely realistic to how it works in America right now, and some may find it sad or distressing to watch. However, I believe this movie explores an interesting concept that I think was handled well, and I would absolutely recommend it.