Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.
When two astronomers (Oscar-winning Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) discover a comet that will pulverize Earth in six months, they immediately start a tour to warn the masses. Except that the world is not interested, starting with the President of the United States (Meryl Streep) and his Trumpesque vice-president (Jonah Hill), who are more concerned about the mid-term elections than about the extinction of all life on the planet. Combine this with a TV journalist who hates to give bad news (Cate Blanchett), an ersatz Elon Musk (Mark Rylance) who sees the comet as a business opportunity, and a racist homophobic army general (Ron Perlman), and it becomes clear that mankind is not out of its own misery.
Since The Big Short and Vice, McKay began a transformation that reaches its final stage here with Don't Look Up. From being the chief joker of the early days, he is now definitively an expert descrambler. After the wild liberalism and the all-out authoritarianism, it's now both who are in his line of fire.
The subject of the film links up with the one of over-mediatization, further alienating each American citizen, between intoxication, rumors and disinformation beyond belief. Forced to remain silent to protect the secret defense of the American administration, seeking to minimize the bad news, the scientists must redouble their efforts in an era where the smallest academic discovery can also be hijacked for electoral purposes or financial profitability.
“You guys discovered a comet? That’s so dope. I have a tattoo of a shooting star”. Ariana Grande—Riley Bina
Always flirting with the disaster genre, the sarcastic comedy is so caustic that in the end we start laughing at ourselves, judging all over human's blind behavior and their ignorance in front of undeniable evidence of truth. It's just like looking into a mirror screen. Living in denial has never been easier than in today's world of materialism and supreme comfort for things to change.
Behind the veneer of comedy, there is always the distressing tragedy that is played out before us. While powerfully funny, Don't Look Up embarrasses itself with some irrelevant subplots, among which, the one concerning the characters played by Cater Blanchett and Timothée Chalamet. Theses storylines brings nothing more than length to the movie, adding superfluous content while the whole epilogue is as virtuoso as the main plot.
"Don't look up" is above all a thinly veiled satire on American society and particularly on the ostrich-like policy that some people practice with brio. Adam Kay last movie is the final and unexpected gift of a monstrous year. An imperfect piece of seventh art to consume without moderation.
Happy end of the world everyone.
DON'T LOOK UP
Directed by Adam Kay
Written by Adam Kay, Story by David Sirota
Released on December 24, 2021
Runtime: 138 minutes
Casting: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklid, Tomer Sisley, Paul Guilfoyle
