Don’t Look Up: A Satirical Take On the End of the World

Don’t Look Up (2021, Netflix), Photo from IMDB.com

By R. J. F.

This article originally appeared on Medium.com (1/11/2022).

I spent my New Year’s Eve sitting on my couch watching movies. One of the movies on my list was Don’t Look Up. The first time I saw a trailer for this movie I was super excited because of the cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchet, like, damn, these are Academy Award caliber actors! I wasn’t really stoked on the premise because we’ve all seen movies about the end of the world via a comet or some other catastrophic event. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and Deep Impact are the two that really stand out in my mind, so I was anticipating a “been there, done that” plot.

This movie is a satirical take on the end of the world; other films of the same subject tend to take it very seriously, but Don’t Look Up aimed to bring some laughs. Satires are designed to criticize a problem or problematic people in the hopes that they will see the error of their ways, and in this case, the targets of such satire are corrupt politicians, greedy billionaires, as well as science deniers.

In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are two scientists that try to warn the world about a massive comet that is going to make an impact with the earth and subsequently bring about the end of times. Meryl Streep plays the uncaring and jaded American president who is more concerned with her approval ratings than saving the planet. SPOILER: Science and logic do not win in this movie. Streep pretty much makes one terrible decision after another, prodded on by a billionaire tech CEO who is more interested in mining the natural materials from the comet for profit than saving the world. The mission to mine and destroy the comet, which was put off until the last minute, fails, and the rest of us earthlings suffer the ultimate consequence while the billionaires who blundered it all live to die another day.

Streep is a phenomenon, and her portrayal of a president that is hell bent on saving her image and furthering her political career is grossly accurate. I can say, without any question, that she drew her inspiration from Trump, who she has vocally and openly criticized. Blanchet is a true chameleon. She is almost unrecognizable in this film, and she has the most understated comedic performance of everyone. Hill is always a pleasure to watch. His bro-esque portrayal of a guy who is not supposed to have a high-ranking government position is awesome. Even when the reality of his death is approaching, he keeps the comedy going. Lawrence and DiCaprio, although not known for starring in satirical comedies, are both excellent in their roles, and it would be awesome to see them do more parts like these.

There is a beautiful, final scene with DiCaprio’s family and friends sitting around a dining table enjoying their last meal, holding hands, talking about cherished memories, and trying to be with each other until the bittersweet end of the world. As the table and house are shaking from the destructive tremors approaching, each character trying to maintain their composure, I couldn’t help but shed some tears because that’s exactly what I would want to do should an event like this unfold. I would want to be with my family and friends, holding each other, and soaking up our final moments.

The screenplay was written by Adam McKay, and he was also the director of the movie. McKay is mostly known for his outlandish comedy films that are not so much about social commentary. Through this film, he is making a poignant statement about where we’re at and where we’re headed if we continue to ignore science and only focus on our own needs and wants. I like that we, the collective whole, got what we deserved in the end a comet that was openly tracked and acknowledged taking out our entire planet due to denial and greed. This was the point, right? To have a shattered mirror held up to our glutinous faces because this is the reality of the times in which we are living.

In the end, the movie wasn’t really what I had anticipated in terms of the plot. Unlike other end of the world films where every country does everything they can to save the planet, this one drew a definite line in the sand. The message was clear: we are fucked if we don’t work together, stand up to corruption, and open our eyes to the truth.