In December 2021 Netflix released another highly disputed film: Don’t Look Up. This is an ominous political satire film that had many mixed reviews as some found it clever, while others had nothing but heavy criticism. 

The film begins with Kate Dibiasky (Jennfier Lawerance), an astronomy grad student, who discovers a new comet. Her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo Dicaprio) confirms it will collide with Earth in 6 months and fourteen days causing a global extinction. But perhaps the biggest problem is no one seems to care! Kate and Randall embark on a media tour taking them from morning shows to the White House. Time is running out and gaining attention is crucial but the public is too social media obsessed — What will it take for the world to stop and look up?

At first Don’t Look Up appears and feels like a fast paced comedy. You laugh at the exaggerated characters and crazy media, but then there is a shift. The humor begins to feel forced. You’re not just watching a movie, but you’re watching a reflection of reality. The way the politicians delay actions or the billionaires manipulate crises for a profit, it all seems too familiar. During the final act, the comedy is gone. The worst happens and there is no good resolution. Rather, it forces us to face the consequences of inaction. 

While the film was sinister, the strong cast helped provide humor which kept the audience engaged. For many Jennifer Lawerence, Kate Dibiasky, who discovered the comet was the favorite. She portrays a powerful symbol of anger and activism for younger generations. Her cool style and music taste helps create a character young viewers can relate to. Lawrence draws on realism with a purpose. The constant rejection Dibiasky is faced with resonates with countless others, but she never gives up. Leonardo Dicaprio or Dr. Randall Mindy’s role is also critical. He plays a socially awkward scientist who is suddenly thrown into the spotlight. Dicaprio plays Mindy with a nervous demeanor that many can relate to. These characters not only provide comedy, but meaning to the film.

Despite the film’s high quality it has been met with mixed reviews and a rating of just 56% Rotten Tomatoes. Many loved the bold message and thought it was both funny and accurate. Others believed it was too stressful and over the top. Critics arose in every corner from major media to newspapers along with countless websites. Many began wondering how could the idea for such a film arise?

An interview conducted by Neil deGrasse Tyson featured Adam Mckay, the director, writer, and producer of the film. Mckay shared that the idea for the film came from “stark terror” and that our culture, leaders, industry, and media are ignoring the damage being done to our climate. A friend of Mckay made a joke saying the “asteroid is coming and no one cares” and the rest was history. Click here for the full interview.

Don’t Look Up is not just a gloomy film, it’s a warning. The comet acts as a metaphor for real world issues such as climate change, misinformation, and countless other things. The film shows how we as a society ignore the scary facts until it directly affects us. It also reveals how fragmented humanity has become. In closing, Don’t Look Up had an important message, but the film was quickly overlooked. It is up to us, the audience, to make the change and finally look up.