Here is our review of Don’t Look Up, Adam McKay’s new film with a stellar cast
A film that fulfills its purpose very well. This could be said of Don’t Look Up, the new film by the acclaimed director Adam McKay, available exclusively on Netflix. The filmmaker who in his career gave us films such as Anchorman, The Big Bet and Vice – The Man in the Shadows, goes back behind the camera to tell us a story based on “Facts really possible”, as the poster itself says. Before delving further into the review, let’s take a look at the official trailer of the film.
The plot | Review Don’t Look Up
PhD student in astronomy Kate Dibiaski (Jennifer Lawrence) and his professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo Dicaprio) discover the existence of a comet headed for our planet, whose impact is just over six months away. Together with Officer Clayton “Teddy” Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan) go to the White House to communicate the discovery to President Jeanie Orlean (Meryl Streep). The latter, however, proves little interested in the upcoming comet and more focused on the approaching mid-term elections and the scandals it is going through. Kate and Randall therefore decide to turn to the press and television, also finding little success in these cases, becoming respectively a meme (Kate) and a sex symbol (Randall). The whole population seems more interested in banalities than in the certain possibility of death that awaits the whole of humanity months later. Will the two protagonists be able to be heard and save the world?
News | Don’t Look Up Review
The reference to climate change it is clear and indisputable. Adam McKay is once again able to deal with a delicate subject, after the economic crisis of 2008 in The Big Bet, in a unique and at times ironic way. The comet that is about to crash on Earth clearly represents the nightmare of future generations and unfortunately, as the poster says, these are really possible facts. Don’t Look Up teases continuously on the parallel between horror of the apocalypse and the inevitable comic moments of which these obviously exaggerated characters (?) are protagonists. It is difficult to say where the reality and factuality of the events shown arrive and where the absurdity of the situation begins. This border is the real protagonist of the film and also the two protagonists, who should represent reason in a world that does not want to hear, often go beyond this imaginary line. Quiet family man Randall loses control blinded by his new status as Kate shifts from hope to resignation and back again throughout the film. The goal of the film was to convey a message and in my opinion it did very well.
The cast | Don’t Look Up Review
The thing that stands out most in the eye of the viewer even before they hit play is the incredible cast that encompasses the film. Starting with the aforementioned Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan and Meryl Streep, who alone would make up the ideal cast for any film project, we also have Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Mark Rylance and also the extraordinary participation of Ariana Grande and Scott Mescudi. Not to mention the exceptional cameos of Chris Evans e Micheal Chiklis, we are facing one of the best cast ever. The big names are not always a guarantee of quality, but this time the expectations are not denied and all the performers give a performance of applause. I emphasize in particular the two protagonists, both fresh from Golden Globe application, as well as Streep, Hill and Blanchett, true matadors once on the screen. Let’s see if awards season will crown the work of one or more members of this great cast.
Conclusions
Don’t Look Up is a movie that, as the meme says, makes you laugh, but also reflect. The theme of the apocalypse is as much as ever current, not only for the exceptional pandemic situation we are still living with, but also and above all for the specter of climate change. The aim of the film is to raise awareness among the viewer and, with a mix of fresh jokes and a context that skilfully moves on the border between surreal and spotted, it succeeds. The cast is one of the best in recent years and that alone would be enough to convince anyone to watch this movie. But without the right substance those names would remain only names. So here it comes into play Adam McKay, who reconfirms himself as one of the best directors and screenwriters of the last twenty years e skilled orchestrator of a story that, like La grande bet made with the 2008 crisis, has been able to ironize and raise awareness on a subject we always hear about, but which nevertheless always takes a back seat. Widely approved.
And you, have you seen Don’t Look Up? What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
It makes you laugh, but also reflect
Points in favor
- The message comes loud and clear
- The great test of the cast
- The balance between comedy and horror
Points against
- The harsh reality of the story (especially the ending) might bother many
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