Don’t Look Up (2021), was released on Netflix in December, and popped up as the featured show when you start up Netflix for me shortly after it’s release. I hadn’t heard of it prior to then. I love disaster movies (which is weird with the anxiety thing), and I love NASA, so Luke and I both had it on our list of things to sit down and watch, and a few nights ago, we did. *Warning, post may contain spoilers!*
The movie basically follows two astronomers who discover a comet that will impact the Earth in a little over 6 months, and how the government and public respond. From coverup to denial to division, the movie covers it all in a little over 2 hours.
Honestly, I liked it. Did it make me angry? Yes. Did it make me sad? Yes. Was it a little over the top? Maybe. Did I laugh? For sure. It made you step back and think, I wonder if this is how the rest of the world really sees America right now. It was a great mock at how the last presidential election went, and how the population has responded to the pandemic. It highlights our lack of understanding and education with science and politics, and shows our arrogance and gullibility. It has a great cast, and they don’t hold back on the emotion and language their characters have when faced with the fact that planet Earth is threatened with extinction.
I mean, seriously, what in the hell would you do if you were told the entire world was going to die in 6 months? Would you deny it? Believe it? Go along with your life? Default on your house and credit cards and go crazy with life? It’s a lot to take in.
Now replace the entire world dying in 6 months with the climate change crisis that’s been in the news on the back pages for years. We may not experience the catastrophic effects in our lifetime, but we are setting up that extinction scenario for our kids and grandchildren. That’s what director Adam McKay used as the basis for the movie. That people still deny or don’t think climate change is an issue is both terrifying and hilarious at the same time. I wonder how opinions will change in another 20 years…
Without giving a lot of the story away, I’ll just say, if you like disaster, comedy, and mocking the government and public opinion, give the movie a shot and see what you think!