There is something about Don’t Look Up that is triggering and reminds you of a certain period of time where the world seems a little chaotic and too close to home. Like the world is lacking a leader and it seems everyone is out to make a buck and there is no one listening to the meteorologists, astronomers, scientists or the medical professionals. Everyone is chasing quick fame and notoriety and there seems little care for the world and the people in it. Everyone has become self-centered and only thinking solely about themselves and how they can look good.
The premise of Don’t Look Up is making people very uncomfortable, mad, very opinionated and critical. But this generally tends to happen when people feel that a mirror is being held up to their face and what they are witnessing is a little confrontational and might start to see themselves in the characters that are being presented on the screen. This film might be making people realize that they are seeing behaviors in themselves that they don’t like, they also might be seeing a period of time where they behaved in a similar fashion.
Don’t Look Up is a new film out on Netflix that is about a meteorologist student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) who discovers a meteor that is on a crash course with Earth. Professor Dr. Randall (Leonardo DiCaprio) notifies the appropriate government agencies, that ends up that Kate and Dr. Randall have to present their story to the President Orleans (Meryl Streep), who is only interested in the pursuing of the meteorite story if it can improve her approval rating. All the while her son, Jason Orlean (Jonah Hill) is trying to put in his two cents and get the approval of his mother.
Directed and written by Adam McKay, known for his political satires such as Vice or current TV hit Succession. Don’t Look Up is a critique of the current state of the world. Where once we looked at politicians as leaders, scientists and medical professionals as the beacon of respect and the media for accurate information about the world. The world in Don’t Look Up has now become something of a popularity contest, political leaders aren’t interested in anything unless it improves their approval rating, we now criticize and mock scientists who present information that we don’t like to hear and media companies are more focused on what will generate viewers and social media traffic, a very sad reality when the truth is that a meteorite is about to destroy the world, but no one cares unless they can make money or generate likes on social media.
Meryl Streep as President Orleans is near perfection. There is something about her in this role that is mesmerizing but also incredibly uncomfortable to watch. Her mannerisms and tone in her voice, the way she pulls her face when she hears something that she doesn’t like and how she keeps thinking being a leader of the country is all about winning a popularity contest, it really is a remarkable performance.
But there is no mistaking it Don’t Look Up is a self-reflection piece. It is a movie that will make you think about the current state of society and the way it is headed. This is a film that is very uncomfortable to watch as there are many moments that remind you of certain points in history and will make you question how did we end up like this and is there room for improvement. This is not how you want the world to end up and not a way you want to live in the future.
Don’t Look Up is currently available on Netflix.
