Two astronomers struggle to convince people that a comet is on its
​way towards Earth and will destroy the planet unless action is taken.

COMEDY/SCI-FI

Don't Look Up (2021)

Written and Directed by Adam McKay

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Rob Morgan, 
​Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande

Oscar Nominations - Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay,
​Best Film Editing, Best Original Score (Nicholas Britell)

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Connor Eyzaguirre

December 25, 2021

8/10

Leave it to comedic genius turned satirical master Adam McKay to make the best pro-science, anti-politics movie of the pandemic. Make no mistake, this movie is entirely about Covid-19 and the abysmal way the American government has handled it thus far. McKay has shown with The Other Guys, The Big Short, and Vice how much he detests the big guy stepping on the rest of us, and this film just amplifies that concept using a comet the size of Mount Everest and a global populace that ignores it until it's too late. He brings together a seriously impressive ensemble of talent, many of whom are playing against type, and delivers a film that's going to upset quite a lot of people because of how unflinchingly honest it is in its depiction of modern society.

One day, grad student Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) and her mentor Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) stumble onto a life-changing discovery. A comet the size of a mountain is on a collision course with Earth and will touch down in six months. At that time, all life on Earth will die. When they go to the ignorant President Orlean (Streep), she blows them off. So they go to the press, and are promptly ridiculed. Until the president decides to use this as a way to win the midterms. It's pretty disgusting the whole time, with every character being insufferable, arrogant, and completely full of shit except for the ones everyone should be paying attention to. And in the end, there are big fucking consequences.

It gets emotional because of how realistic this thing becomes. McKay ties it to the pandemic, and really beats into your head how important it is to trust science. We may not be facing a comet, but we are facing an ongoing global pandemic that many are treating like a nonexistent threat. Maybe this movie will convince some people to wake the fuck up. But probably not. It's still really good though.