Netflix Sci-Fi Dark R-Rated Comedy Is A Star-Studded Modern Classic
If you’re a fan of screwball comedy films, you’re likely already familiar with the work of beloved director Adam McKay. Over the years, the director has taken on increasingly political undertones in his films, while retaining his trademark blend of irreverent humor and wit that put him on the map. McKay’s latest film, Don’t Look Up, is a Netflix original with a prescient message and a positively stacked cast, which you can stream on the platform today.
Adam McKay’s Career
Before taking on the reins of Don’t Look Up, writer-director Adam McKay was responsible for blending serious themes with comedy in many of his biggest projects.
He pointed out corruption within the housing market in 2015’s The Big Short, exposed the truth about the true power of the American presidency in the 2018 Dick Cheney biopic Vice, and even chronicled a tale of two bone-headed man-children in 2008’s Step Brothers.
So, if you follow McKay’s career trajectory, it only makes sense that his Netflix debut would see him lambasting something as serious as climate change denialism and other insufferable government and media failures from recent memory.
In Don’t Look Up, McKay does just that, with the help of an absolutely massive cast of A-list talent.
We’ll be here all day if I attempt to name every A-lister in the film, so let’s just highlight Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, and even Ariana Grande and Timothee Chalamet.
The Story
The narrative of Don’t Look Up centers on a small team of astronomers operating out of Michigan State University, as they uncover a massive comet on a direct collision course with Earth.
While trying not to incite panic, Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) and grad student Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) inform the White House of the impending extinction-level event, only to learn that the incompetent administration is completely unaffected by the notion of the Earth becoming a flaming hellscape.
From here, the movie offers a satirical depiction of how many citizens of our tiny blue marble have felt for the last several decades, as the impending death by comet collision stands-in as a thinly-veiled metaphor for the impending doom of man-made climate change.
As the film carries on, news media outlets malign the scientists reporting the comet as unreliable and over-dramatic, while the White House tries to inspire voters to simply ignore the problem with a campaign suggesting they just “Don’t Look Up.”
A Polarizing Film
Needless to say, this film was quite polarizing for many audiences. This was especially true for far-right conservative pundits, who quickly recognized that they were being brutally made fun of, while also arguing that climate change still isn’t real.
Despite this alienation of the audience, Don’t Look Up scored massive streaming numbers for Netflix, and even brought in a handful of Academy Award nominations.
It Aged Quickly
Personally, I enjoyed parts of Don’t Look Up, but there are moments that make it clear that it was developed during the pandemic, which leave the film looking aged just two years after premiering.
Some of the special effects could be much better, the film’s third act is a little all over the place, and not every performance in Don’t Look Up completely knocks it out of the park. Still, Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep are major standouts, bringing a hilarious pathos to a pair of absurd characters.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
Overall, I’d say Don’t Look Up is a step down from the magnum opus that was Adam McKay’s Vice, though I’m still very excited to see what the comedic filmmaker has cooking up for his next feature. If you’d like to stream the film today, Don’t Look Up is currently available on Netflix.
