'Don't Look Up', The Microcosm of Society - Temisola Morgan, TGS

The star-studded sci-fi film, Don’t Look Up, released on Netflix in 2021 was a social commentary on climate change. This movie navigates the different behaviours towards global warming and its threat to Earth and its species through a metaphoric meteor crisis. 

The film follows Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as scientists who discover a meteor heading towards Earth. One so big that it would cause extinction to all life if it were to hit Earth. They have only 6 months until contact. Six months to prevent the end of the world. Meryl Streep acting the role as US president struggles to take this seriously throughout the whole movie despite this, she decides to act on the plans orchestrated to divert to meteor when the meteor was about 5 months away. With the public now made aware of the imposing doom, the whole nuclear mission is televised for the world to see. However, just seconds after take-off, the mission is aborted as tech magnate discovers the monetary value of the natural resources with the rock. It was at that moment, where money was valued over human life, that the fate of the world was secured and its extinction made inevitable. 

This film was nothing but a mirror of society. Many characters represent certain attitudes towards news on climate change and global warming. First, the severity of the situation not being understood or accepted by politicians, demonstrated by the unserious president and her son. Second, the lack of action taken by companies and businesses because it doesn’t bring about profit nor does it improve sales, exemplified by Peter Isherwell. Thirdly, climate denial shown in the rednecks. Fourthly, the opportunities missed to have tackled this decades ago when we were being warned of global warming since the 90s is proved when the mission that could have saved them when the meteor was still five months away was aborted. Finally, the frustration felt by scientists and environmentalists when such information and warnings are ignored shown in Professor Mindy and Dibiasky. 

I believe the aim of this movie was to show people just how serious global warming is. To show us all that global warming is our meteor and if we do nothing about it, it will kill us all. This film was a call to action; it remind us of our duty to play our part in saving this planet.