Don’t Look Up (2021)
“This is not real. This is not real. This isn’t happening. Kate, tell me this isn’t happening” – Dr Randall Mindy.
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Directed by: Adam McKay
Written by: Adam McKay
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance,
So this little firecracker of a movie is coming out 24th December on Netflix, but I couldn’t wait, so went to see it at the movies.
As some people may know, I am a huge Adam McKay fan. I’m a big fan of most things he did with Will Ferrell, The Big Short is my girlfriend’s favourite movie, and he’s an exec producer on Succession. I just really like his sense of humour. And in an age where comedies are getting harder and harder to make, because nobody is really sure what you’re allowed to joke about anymore, I feel like McKay’s absurdist, satirical, on-the-nose jokes about really serious subjects are paving the way for the future of comedy.
Therefore when I saw he was helming a comedy movie with arguably the greatest ensemble cast ever assembled, I was pretty excited. As in, I think this was my most anticipated movie of the year. And this is a year where a new fricken blockbuster is coming out every 2 days. And I haven’t seen or read any reviews about this, so I have no clue what the rest of the world will think about it, but this met every expectation I had. It’s definitely not the best movie I’ve seen this year – nowhere nearrrr – but it checks all the boxes you expect.
The film focuses on astrophysicists Dr Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence), who discover a deadly meteor is hurtling towards earth. With only 6 months until impact, they scramble to get the President (Streep), her idiotic son and Chief of Staff (Hill) and the world at large to appreciate the seriousness of the danger before it’s too late.
So first things first, this tantalising cast. While it’s a big call, I think this is the most talented ensemble cast ever assembled. Maybe not the best chemistry, or most fun, or whatever, but if you break it down into individual brilliance and star power, this is up there with Oceans 11 and, I dunno, Pulp Fiction? Some of the Wes Anderson movies? DiCaprio, Streep, Lawrence, Blanchett, Rylance, Hill, Chalamet is a fuckload of starpower for your 7 lead roles. And they’re great. And the most surprising part is that Jonah Hill and Jennifer Lawrence outshine DiCaprio and Streep.
As for the plot, I feel like the seemingly erratic and simplistic nature of the narrative progression will annoy some more…academic…film reviewers. At it’s heart, it’s a very simple story – a comet is coming towards earth, how do we stop it. That’s the bare bones. And because of that a lot of the scenes come across more as set-ups for McKay’s jokes than actual progression. Which I am completely fine with, and thought there were genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. BUT. If you’re coming into this expecting some high-paced, dramatic end of the world drama, you’re not really going to get any satisfaction until the final act of the film.
And while it comes across as comical and silly, McKay is still making a point here. The entire film is a big subtextual punch to the face, highlighting how difficult it is to determine the ‘real truth’ from all the different pieces of information we’re fed everyday. Misinformation is rife, and clearly powerful people will cover up terrifying realities to protect their vested interests over society. Which is probably one of the worst things about the internet age, right? We don’t know who or what to trust anymore, and this ‘society of mistrust’ then undermines real, important pieces of information.
But because I’m a heartless bastard, I pushed this serious subtext aside and enjoyed the movie for what it is on the surface – a comical, satirical showcase of some of the best acting talent working today. Highly recommend.
Rating: 8/10