Adam McKay knows how to balance comedy with a good dose of drama. If The Big Short and Vice weren’t proof enough, Don’t Look Up sees McKay settling into the world of satire with great ease. The film is the ultimate disaster movie, timely in its subject matter and ambitious in its execution. Don’t Look Up can be increasingly outrageous, but it’s fair to say that it parallels reality in the way things play out, which turns even its funniest moments into chilling ones. Bolstered by a fantastic cast, McKay’s film is bold, with sharp commentary, feelings of unease, and comedic beats that work to make a memorable film.
Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his PhD student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) discover a comet that is expected to hit Earth in the span of six months. After conducting some calculations to confirm its impact, they immediately take the information to NASA and the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, led by Dr. Clayton “Teddy” Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan), before it’s deemed worthy enough to get an audience with President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) and her Chief of Staff Jason Orlean (Jonah Hill), her incompetent son. Eventually tasked with breaking the news to the world, Randall and Kate are perplexed and deeply disturbed when no one treats the information with the seriousness it deserves.
Don’t Look Up is smart in the way it balances and handles all of its themes; it showcases the best and worst of humanity — how intelligent yet simultaneously ridiculous, harmful, and indifferent people can be. There’s a deep sense of unease that permeates even the funniest moments, with the farcical nature of the film never overshadowing the bleak mess the characters are faced with. McKay does an exceptional job mocking the state of the U.S. government, the system, the public, and the media, capitalizing on the way people consume, filter, and perceive news no matter how factual it is. While there are plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes — including a running gag about a government official lying about free items — Don’t Look Up is also moving, unleashing a plethora of emotions ranging from apocalyptic dread to unabashed joy.
It’s a balancing act that McKay pulls off incredibly well, never lingering on one thing for longer than need be. He allows viewers to understand the gravity of the situation — a stand-in for the catastrophic effects of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic — and how badly things can go sideways when people are preoccupied with image, power, policies, and money. To that end, Don’t Look Up’s satire is powerful and incendiary in its criticisms; it’s both comical and emotionally devastating in its accuracy. What’s more, the film doesn’t shy away from showcasing how even those with the best of intentions can be swayed when close enough to obtaining any kind of power and attention. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important (even for a moment) when thrust into the spotlight and one’s sense of importance boosted.
McKay tackles heavy subjects like existence, fear, and frivolity with panache and witty hilarity, all without missing a beat. Audiences will leave Don’t Look Up feeling entertained and deeply concerned about the state of the world and the response to catastrophe. Considering the global pandemic is still ongoing, with so much information not taken seriously, labeled a conspiracy, or turned into talking points for political gain at the expense of public safety, Don’t Look Up nails the subject matter while exploring its complexities. Most films treat the end of the world with the severity it deserves, but McKay’s screenplay brings levity and touches of realism. It makes the film all the more harrowing and intriguing to watch, with commentary about the perils of decision-making based on greed. Somehow, Don’t Look Up elevates its distressing moments by combining it with human nonsense and it works. McKay intercuts scenes of life on Earth — small, everyday things like animals walking, people gathering to socialize, a butterfly moving between blades of grass — that will make one appreciate life and its fleeting, beautiful moments.
The performances certainly uplift an already strong film. Leonardo DiCaprio as an anxious, under-the-radar scientist is a treat and he leans into that without going overboard. His character’s trajectory makes sense considering his history and DiCaprio is often put in situations where Randall is like a fish out of water, which the actor capitalizes on through a show of physical discomfort. Jennifer Lawrence’s Kate acts as the moral compass throughout the story and the actress approaches her scenes with an equal amount of fierceness and incredulity at everyone’s behavior. The supporting cast — including the always excellent Melanie Lynskey, the audacious Cate Blanchett, and Mark Rylance, who seems to be having a lot of fun playing billionaire tech CEO Peter Isherwell — is tremendous. No matter how despicable or kind their characters, they make the most of their roles.
Don’t Look Up is a deeply unsettling yet darkly humorous watch. It has just the right amount of comedy and zeal without losing sight of its message or the tension bubbling beneath the surface. The various elements of the film work together to entertain while also delivering incisive commentary without condescending to its audience. It’s an impressive feat since the film has several opportunities to go down various paths, but it never strays. Rather, it adds layers to its story at every turn. Viewers will appreciate what the film is trying to say while getting in quite a few chuckles throughout.
Don’t Look Up releases in limited theaters on Friday, December 10 and will be available to stream on Netflix December 24. The film is 138 minutes long and is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, graphic nudity and drug content.
