Wednesday's Weekly Watch Movie Reviews: 'Don't Look Up' (2021) by Adam McKay

The Introduction

Admittedly, apocalyptic disaster movies are tough for me to watch. Something about bad childhood memories of thinking we were all going to die in 2012 ruined this genre of film for me. That didn't stop me however, at our very own Will Tondo's request, from watching the somewhat controversial film 'Don't Look Up', created by the critically acclaimed director Adam McKay. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, details the discovery of a massive comet set to strike earth, and the events leading up to its inevitable impact.

The Review

Credit: CNN

As previously mentioned, apocalypse movies give me the creeps. The idea of inevitable mass extinction and the perpetual feeling of hopelessness always tends to leave me feeling empty and melancholy. Because of 'Don't Look Up', I'd like to add a new adjective to describe how it felt to watch this piece of terribly prophetic cinema; frustrating.

The persistent inability of anybody in the general American public (which is an obvious critique of the real life American public) to grasp how dire the situation truly is. Quick, darting camera cuts between shots of Dr. Mindy's (DiCaprio) hands and Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) shuffling through hallways adds a visual element to how stressful and urgent the situation truly is. Accompanied by longer, panning shots when showing people who don't understand the situation (the president, Brie and Jack, etc.), the subliminal feeling between the two opposing sides interacting with each other is made clear to the viewers.

'Don't Look Up' also has an incredibly star-studded cast, with each actor portraying the role of a character they haven't traditionally played in previous films. For example, Leo plays the role of Dr. Randall Mindy, a shy and anxious astrologist. Typically, Leo plays the role of the stoic, often charismatic lead role. I found it refreshing to see familiar faces in roles that weren't stereotypically theirs.

The Rating:

Credit: Los Angeles Times

Despite my preconceived feelings towards apocalyptic films, I felt better watching this one because of the outward comedic tone that can be felt throughout the movie. Overall, a 7.2 out of 10 seems like a fair rating from me.