“Don’t Look Up” Movie Review

After having been teased for a long time before its release, the highly anticipated film, “Don’t Look Up”, finally arrived on Netflix on December 24, 2021. The movie was first announced in November of 2019, but due to the rise of Covid-19, the filming process did not begin until November of the following year. It’s safe to say that after hearing what incredible actors and actresses would be participating in this movie, the excitement was beginning to rise dramatically.

The film stars actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and actress Jennifer Lawrence as the two lead astronomers. Lawrence’s character, Kate, discovers an unknown comet hurtling towards Earth which DiCaprio’s character, Randall, calculates will impact it within six months, leading to a world extinction event. After this damaging discovery, Kate and Randall take it to NASA as their first step toward preventing this from happening. NASA then sends a representative to have a meeting with the President along with Kate and Randall. The President and her son, played by Merryl Streep and Jonah Hill, laugh at them and proceed to sit back and do nothing, while asking them to do the same. 

After the head of the country has neglected to do anything about the matter, Randall and Kate get themselves onto a news program to announce the detrimental situation. The hosts of the show take a quick liking to Randall, but them being so nonchalant about the news they just broadcasted frustrated Kate to the point of explosion. Kate was no longer welcomed on the show, but Randall became a recurring guest. Without spoiling the entire movie, let’s just say the fame manages to get into Randall’s head and he becomes a pawn to the President in order for her to strengthen her campaign. 

The point of the movie is to overemphasize the moral skewed political atmosphere of the country. The President only seems to care about the well-being of the world when it’s beneficial to her own selfish desires, and the news outlets only report on biased news that doesn’t give the full story. Personally, this movie felt incredibly well-done and informative. Sure, a lot of people believe it’s too dramatized and farfetched, but that’s the purpose of the film overall. 

After speaking with Pitman High School senior, Lola Strangfeld, I was curious to know her take on the premise of the film.

• Did you enjoy watching the film “Don’t Look Up”?

“Yes, I actually really liked it.”

• Do you think the movie gave satisfactory emphasis on its theme of politics being flawed in this country?

“Honestly, I think so. I think they were really trying to amplify how messed up certain issues are and that message came across very clearly.”

• Do you personally believe the movie was over-the-top or farfetched?

“I think maybe a little bit, but that was kind of the point so I didn’t think anything of it.”

• Who was your favorite character and/or scene? 

“I liked Timothee Chalamet’s character the best. I’m kind of biased but also he was just super funny and made the whole thing more lighthearted.”

Overall, the movie was incredibly well-done, and the stars that participated were phenomenal, as per usual. If you haven’t given it a shot, it is a movie that will leave you satisfied, and possibly get you thinking about things you may have never even considered before. Plus… if you’re a fan of Ariana Grande or Kid Cudi, they make an appearance as well, which was definitely a bonus!