Don't Look Up - McKay Delivers A Sharp And Funny Satire That's A Dr. Strangelove For The 21st Century

Don't Look Up

Don't Look Up feels like a massive burst of frustration. Mckay is screaming, trying to remind us of what matters and to point out that the people running things don't have a clue what they're doing. Only their self-interest drives them. And the way things have played out this year, I happily joined him in that frustration. Now Mckay and I probably don't agree about much concerning politics. His political messages have hindered him in his recent output, and I dismissed him. It felt like he had become a pawn in the Hollywood game, which disappointed me considering how great his early work is. I'm interested in seeing how this movie hits critics who are embedded in that world because Mckay (knowingly or unknowingly) mocks them quite viciously. His mockery is quite elevated from how things are, but it's certainly not flattering. 

Mckay strikes an excellent balance between the comedy and the serious stuff he's trying to say. It's great to see Mckay funny again. He's had comedic bits in his past films but never as good as what he has here. Mckay hits his mark here. He's assembled a stellar cast that all crush it here. When I saw how big this cast was, I felt like there'd be people who slipped between the cracks and were just there because Mckay could put them there. I was surprised to find everybody listed made me laugh more than once! Mery Streep, Mark Rylance, Cate Blanchett, even Ariana Grande (who I felt they spent a bit too much time on) are people I would expect to have such great comedic timing but are hilarious! Streep and Hill paired up together was a duo I never knew I needed. Every time the two are on the screen together, the movie's at its best. The best parts of the film are when Mckay is mocking the people running things. Dicaprio and Lawerence as our leads could not have been better. Lawerence hasn't always been my favorite actress, but she's given some great performances, and this is one of them. Her character feels real but manages to fit in with Mckay's larger-than-life comedy, which I thought the movie did very well with a lot of its characters. Dicaprio is easily the standout of the film. I've realized that he might be my favorite actor right now. With this and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, he's proved himself to be an excellent comedic actor, and I hope we see more of this comedic, flustered Dicaprio in the future. I love Dicaprio's character, and he ended up going on a journey that I felt was very worthwhile by the end. I don't know if this movie will get any nominations. If it does, I could see it getting a Best Original Screenplay nom, maybe Best Picture, and it might even get nominated for Best Original Song because we've got Ariana Grande here. (Pretty funny song too.) And I hope that Dicaprio earns one. He gave my favorite performance this year, but I don't know if it's the type of performance the academy will recognize. 

I never expected this movie to be as fun as it is. Mckay's crafted a fun time that also takes time to remind you of what's most important, and that struck a chord with me. Part of me knows that I'm enjoying and seeing this movie through a different lens than Mckay probably intended, but I'm pretty pleased with the way this movie turned out. It's easily a movie I see myself returning to as soon as it hits on Netflix. However, I would recommend that people see this movie on the big screen. Don't Look Up is one of Mckay's best-looking films, and I had a fun time seeing it in a theater with my dad. I felt like the stress of the characters was magnified. The cast of the movie serves this movie well. They all play off each other very well, and all made me laugh. Mckay's satire is at a masterclass level, and he shows that he still has his comedic edge while putting together his best serious message yet. Easily one of the best of the year.

Strong Recommend

9/10

- Noah Newcomb

Don't Look Up Trailer