‘Don’t Look Up’ warns against climate change denial

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in December 2019, the world has fallen into a chaotic climate of anti-science, anti-media, anti-anything that goes against personal belief. The dark satire of “Don’t Look Up,” directed by Adam McKay, exposes the truth about false narratives that deny scientific and political facts.

SPOILERS

“Don’t Look Up” begins with Kate, an astronomy graduate student played by Jennifer Lawrence, who discovers that a comet is headed toward Earth. Her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), and other science colleagues, calculate that when the asteroid hits Earth, it will wipe out all humanity.

With evidence of their discovery, they tell the President of the United States, President Orlean, played by Meryl Streep, in hopes of her believing them and taking military action to save the planet. President Orlean and her chief of staff son, played by Jonah Hill, laugh at the absurdity of the situation and dismiss them.

In another effort to warn the public, Kate and Dr. Mindy appear on live TV to talk about the situation. The TV hosts, played by Tyler Perry and Cate Blanchett, do not take their warning seriously. This pattern of trying to convince the public that the scientific evidence proves fact and truth continues through the rest of the film until the comet does indeed hit the Earth.

The number of iconic stars cast in this film was assembled in hopes of grabbing all of their fans and audiences for an important message. The efforts of reaching as many people as possible to get the message across is clear, and some were more successful than others. Ariana Grande’s character, a pop star, could’ve been left out; the character did contribute to the plot at all. Her absence did not impact anything besides revenue for the “Just Look Up” single.

The humor in the film attempts to bring attention to the real-life catastrophic events we are facing. As an American, this film is embarrassing because it exposes the reality of our behavior, actions, and ignorance regarding politics, health and science.

DiCaprio’s ability to create humor through his extremely nervous and stressed character carried the film. Streep’s authoritarian demeanor was well played, another strength in McKay’s favor.

Overall, the intention of the film is captivating. Almost everyone and everything has its place and purpose. It forces viewers to open their eyes and see the similarities between our world and this fictional one, which, if you think about it, isn’t entirely fictional.

“Don’t Look Up” is currently in theatres and streaming on Netflix.