‘Don’t Look Up’: A prophecy?

Text by EVELYN ZHANG

Art by ALISON XIONG Don’t Look Up:

A prophecy?

What if we fail to manage the climate crisis? Netflix show offers a glimpse

In a time when little more than Marvel movies mobilize large audiences, it’s surprising that this time, it’s a political satire.

“Don’t Look Up” is a biting commentary about politicians’ mismanagement of the climate crisis, and, according to Variety, has been breaking records, receiving the most viewing hours for a movie in a single week in Netflix’s history.

This film — which captured four Oscar nominations in Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score on Feb. 8 — tells the journey of two insignificant scientists, astrophysics professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ph.D. candidate Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), who are trying to warn the world of an approaching comet that will exterminate all life on Earth. The comet is used as a proxy for the looming climate crisis and is meant to bring light to the hypocrisy of today’s society and its politicians — how they stress the importance of the crisis yet always seem to prioritize something above it.

DiCaprio proves his veteran status in the acting industry with his convincing portrayal of an anxiety-ridden, socially awkward scientist. Through his darting eyes and constant stuttering, he demonstrates his obliviousness to the deceit of the political world. Lawrence’s character’s frustration about being ignored — conveyed through furrowed eyebrows and a heightened urgency in her voice — bleeds through the screen and makes me, as a viewer, just as frustrated as her. Moreover, Lawrence adeptly delivers the stereotypical “Gen Z” attitude, with sarcastic quips and excessive sassiness.

However, what sets this film apart from 28 April 2022

CELEBRATION OR DESOLATION? Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) discuss the dire implications of an incoming comet. A few moments prior, Dibiasky was celebrating her discovery. “Isn’t that an extinction-level event?” Mindy asks.

the rest is the jarring juxtaposition between the fictitious world of Dibiasky and Mindy and our reality. Some scenarios hit a little too close to home such as conspiracies saying the government fabricated the entire crisis to have more control over the people. The installation of an unqualified Supreme Court Justice candidate being more important than a looming crisis. Billionaires prioritizing profit over the protection of the environment. This all seems oddly familiar…

This parallelism is the key message of the film. McKay set out to make a mockery of the American attitude towards the climate crisis. The idiotic characters seem ridiculous — the president of the United States, the hosts of “The Daily Rip,” and Peter the billionaire.

However, at second glance, these characters carry an uncanny resemblance to current figures in American society: ex-president Donald Trump; the hosts of “Morning Joe” (a talk show that discusses current polit-

ical events); and Craig Federighi, an Apple executive. The intentional resemblance to real-world figures makes the message clear: If the world continues to behave as it is right now, with its apathetic attitude towards climate change, then there might as well be a “WELCOME DOOM” billboard inviting a mass-extinction event. Still, the movie may not be received well because, for some, the political satire is too exaggerated. I take no offense to the film’s message. At first, it’s amusing to note the resemblances between the “Some scenarios hit a litmovie and our real world. However, as tle too close to home.” the timelines stop matching up and the movie storyline veers off course, the similarities I initially noticed become disconcerting, and I begin to feel like a seer while watching the tragic ending of the world of Dibiasky and Mindy, knowing that our society will share the same fate if we continue to stay on the same parallel storyline.