By: Miranda Martin
Netflix’s latest star-studded hit, Don’t Look Up (2021), has struck a rather divisive note in the film world as of late.
Debuting in the top ranks of Netflix’s most-streamed titles in December 2021, Don’t Look Up is a star-studded allegorical dramedy centered on… well, a giant comet hurtling toward Earth (and humanity’s unnerving will to ignore it). Directed by Adam McKay (known for his former satirical romps), the film stars A-Listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothee Chalamet, and more; and to be honest? I loved it.
In fact, most people I’ve talked to that have watched it really, really loved it. But, with a paltry 56% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (versus a 77% audience approval rating), why don’t critics also love it? Let’s dive in–
The film does starts off with a pretty hyperbolic premise: a comet is hurtling towards earth, ensuring impending doom, and… well, no one cares. Two amateur astronomers discover the comet, get NASA on board with creating a plan to destroy it, and then? The President of the United States, officials from The Pentagon, and the general world public Just. Don’t. Care.
Though the astronomers assure the public (with 99.6% accuracy by the way) that the comet will kill every living thing on earth in the event it isn’t destroyed, world leaders, the media, and the human populous alike just don’t seem to give a sh*t. And that’s… crazy, right? Well, critics may think so– but the general viewing audience has different ideas.
Any good allegory starts with a hyperbolic premise, because that’s the point. OF COURSE humans would probably care if a giant comet came about and threatened to kill us all, however, humans, historically, haven’t cared about many other crises rocking our world (like impending climate disaster, world-wide poverty, and wealth disparity, to name a few), and that’s what this film is getting at.
If you aren’t a fan of somewhat preachy, or over-the-top satirical allegory, then you probably won’t like this one. However, if you are a fan of poking fun at ourselves, reflecting on our faults as a society, and genuinely hoping the future can be a better place, you’ll enjoy it. I certainly did, and even when the jokes didn’t land 100%, they remained pretty solid throughout, and a plethora of incredible performances from DiCaprio, Lawrence and co. made it well worth watching.
So, what did you think of Don’t Look Up? Let’s discuss!
