Film Review: DON’T LOOK UP (2021): Adam McKay’s Disaster Movie is a Quirky, Star-Studded Treat

Don’t Look Up Review

Don’t Look Up (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Adam McKay and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Timothee Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis, Tomer Sisley, Paul Guilfoyle and Robert Joy.

Adam McKay’s highly watchable new dark comedy, Don’t Look Up, features an all-star cast in the third end-of-the-world film this year (following How It Ends and Silent Night). Don’t Look Up runs almost two-and-a-half hours and doesn’t disappoint as it follows its intriguing premise all the way through to its somewhat logical conclusion.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the film. He plays an astronomer/scientist who wears glasses named Dr. Randall Mindy. DiCaprio’s character has a very plausible idea that a comet may soon be heading to earth. The film plays out as a zany cast of characters march through the movie each with a specific role in the picture’s very heavy-handed, but interesting, plot. Jennifer Lawrence serves as another astronomer named Kate Dibiasky who teams up with Dr. Mindy to make people aware of the impending doom that is most likely on its way as the comet gets closer.

Meryl Streep has a grand ole’ time as the President of the United States who sees the comet as simply a new way of doing business rather than a possible dangerous reality. Jonah Hill, as her son Jason, who overcharges visitors for drinks at the White House, revels in his deranged, but funny, turn here as a loose cannon who has rode to success on his mother’s coattails.

At some point, Mark Rylance’s very annoying but well-played role comes into the film. Rylance portrays Sir Peter Isherwell who pops up to add his wisdom to the scenario the movie portrays. This character is possibly based on some real-life successful businessmen, and one can’t fault Rylance for his awkward characterization. Rylance does the best he can with what he has to work with in the movie regarding his character here which may be the film’s only misstep.

DiCaprio is amazing here. One scene where he appears on a talk show hosted by Brie Evantee (the great Cate Blanchett) and Jack Bremmer (an effective Tyler Perry) is particularly excellent. Here, Dr. Mindy explains how these two hosts’ T.V. fluff is detrimental to society and Dr. Mindy suggests that more important things should at least be discussed on the popular program. It reminded me of the great actor Peter Finch’s “I’m Mad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore” speech in Network. This scene is that superb.

Another great performance is that of Melanie Lynskey as June Mindy, Dr. Mindy’s wife. She discovers that her husband seems to be cheating on her with Brie Evantee and hilariously points out all the middle-aged Dr. Mindy’s flaws as well as the medications he takes for different ailments. A scene where the couple reunite later in the film is deeply moving thanks to Lynskey, always a favorite of mine, who commands attention whenever she’s on screen.

More must be said of Meryl Streep’s character who steals the film at given intervals. This President of the United States is unlike any we’ve seen portrayed before in the movies. As she lets her embarrassing son make speeches about class status that ring false, Streep’s character always knows she is manipulating the country and does so in a way that veils the public from the truth. Streep appears in a mid-end credits scene as well so keep your eyes peeled for that sequence which sheds light on the way the audience should have felt towards her character throughout the picture.

None other than pop star Ariana Grande comes into the film at intervals as well and is most effective when she’s singing a new song with Kid Cudi in the film. Ron Perlman also shines in support with a very quirky character in a film filled with offbeat personalities.

Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t disappoint although she definitely plays second fiddle to DiCaprio’s character in the movie. Lawrence ends up working at a convenience store where she meets a weirdo named Yule (Timothee Chalamet) and the two characters form an odd bond that leads them to being together as the comet seems to be coming closer to the earth. Chalamet adds another unique role to his constantly growing resume.

Adam McKay’s direction is always probing, and he commands solid turns from the majority of his high-profile cast members. The movie is a witty satire on the way the politicians and the media can pull the wool over our eyes when it comes down to serious life-threatening matters. Unfortunately, the film’s premise is more believable than not.

Don’t Look Up is an assured, zany science fiction film with terrific turns throughout. It will make you search your own soul to discover how you would spend your last days on earth if the situations in the film were ever to become a reality. DiCaprio is cast against type and commands attention whenever he’s on screen. Lawrence holds her own beside him.

Don’t Look Up is nothing short of a hugely entertaining take on the way deception and reality intersect and how maintaining the status quo can sometimes be the primary concern of those who we believe have our best interests in mind. It’s definitely fiction but it gives the audience a lot of thought-provoking themes to chew on afterwards. It is highly recommended.

Rating: 8/10

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