Pray That Our Loss Is Nothing But Kind To Them. 4 / 5
Released in UK:
Selected Cinemas - 10th December 2021
Available on Netflix - 24th December
Directed by Adam McKay.
Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.
Don't Look Up isn't a comedy. It's a horror film.
When two astronomers played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio discover a meteor that is set to collide with the earth in an extinction level event, they share their findings with the world with the hopes to act fast to save humanity. But nobody wants to listen.
What follows is a terrifying satire of modern society and politics that treads the line between fiction and reality so finely that you can't help but laugh out of fear at the sheer lunacy of the situation.
Adam McKay's blended style of fact and fiction suits this world that is very much like our own but that doesn't let him and his creative team from making some choices when it comes to the editing, much like Vice and the inclusion of jarring stock footage to pad out the lack of material.
That being said his comic timing and script filled with sharp dialogue do wonders here, finding light in the dark and some laugh out loud moments as he holds a mirror up to the world.
The carpet has been rolled out for the huge cast - where some characters are hit and miss, the leads are fantastic especially DiCaprio who gives a particularly hysterical performance.
As this dark comedy slowly morphs into horror, Don't Look Up uses an extreme example to showcase the best and worst of humanity. While it may not be a subtle film, it does make for one of the most amusing and memorable experiences of the year.
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