A ten-kilometre wide meteor is hurtling towards the Earth, ready to exterminate all life in only six months. How would humans react to this terrifying news? The newly released comedy, ‘Don’t look up’ is a darkly satirical examination of the way in which the media and people would react in this situation. The film has a star-studded cast, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in the lead roles, supported by Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett and Jonah Hill. It made a big splash when it was released on Netflix on 24th December and opened up a dialogue about a multitude of social issues which divide people.
Despite the eerie similarities between the events of the film and the reaction to the COVID - 19 pandemic, the script was actually written before the onset of the pandemic, mainly as an allegory of how climate change stories are being received by some in society. After the two scientists discover the meteor heading towards our planet, they hurry to tell the American president Janie Orlean (played by Meryl Streep). However, due to this discovery interfering with her political agenda, the scientists are instructed to simply, “sit tight and assess”. Parallels can be drawn to the Trump administration, when Trump declared the Earth was going to “start getting cooler - you just watch”. This becomes more obvious as the comet gets closer, with President Orlean creating a “Don’t look up” campaign; a wilfully ignorant piece of propaganda which foretells Trump both refusing to acknowledge climate change and the subsequent pandemic, calling it “a hoax”. This misinformation is often generated by big corporations, governments and the media to pit people against each other, so major issues like these can be blamed on race, immigration and poor people, thus distracting the public while the rich get even richer. The president’s name “Orlean” is also significant, being a nod to the city of New Orleans in the USA, which is below sea level, making it more vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Director Adam Mckay accurately conveys the media’s treatment of climate scientists, particularly in the aftermath of scientist Kate’s passionate outburst on live TV. Instead of her message being understood and taken seriously, she becomes a scapegoat for online ridicule. On the other hand, her male counterpart gets not only the credit for the discovery of the comet but is treated as the more rational of the two. This serves to illuminate the huge double standards in the media, where female activists and scientists are treated as irrational and hysterical. Take Greta Thunberg as an example; she is often infantilised by the media and subjected to ableism. The film also exposes the manufactured authenticity which has become so prevalent in society. A pop star, ironically played by Ariana Grande, is reunited with her boyfriend in a clearly scripted dramatic scene, to be met with adoration from the public, yet when scientist Kate tries to say it as it is, she is mocked. The inability of climate scientists to reveal the whole frightening truth for fear of polarising their audience, often leaves them stepping on eggshells in major news broadcasts, unable to highlight the dire trajectory of the planet. We sadly live in a society which values celebrity drama, materialism and manufactured genuineness, over real authenticity and the hard facts of science.
Another interesting theme in the film centres around BASH LIIF, a phone brand created by the film to symbolise other megacorporations, like Apple and Nintendo. The founder (Sir Peter Isherwell) uses children in the film to appeal to the company’s pre-pubescent consumer base, making the younger generations reliant on their products, reflecting real life marketing techniques. It is this very company that goes on to prevent the meteor from being destroyed as they believe it could contain some useful materials. In the real world, profit is often prioritised over human life, epitomised in the unethical working conditions, low wages and environmental degradation perpetuated by many of these huge corporations. In this film it is taken to the extreme, with the CEO literally ignoring the threat of Earth’s entire population being destroyed, all in the hope of financial gain. The film ends with the audience watching the very same man flying away unscathed, evocative of the billionaire trips to space which have been occurring over the past year.
All in all, I believe that many themes in this film reflect real life. It certainly made me consider the type of society we live in where harsh realities are overlooked and important messages ignored in favour of materialism, politics and wealth.