Don't Look Up review: Fantastic performances by DiCaprio, Meryl Streep keep this extremely unfunny film afloat

3/5

Story:

Don’t Look Up revolves around two low-level astronauts who must warn the world about an approaching comet that will destroy the planet Earth. Directed by Adam McKay, the satirical black comedy film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Cate Blanchett in key roles, among others.

Review:

We all have been bearing the brunt of natural calamities due to climate change. Whether it's tsunami, earthquakes, drought or floods, humans suffer a huge loss of property and lives. And, DiCaprio has been always vocal about environmental degradation and climate change. The actor has also been seen in multiple movies that talk about the same. He does so too in his latest outing on Netflix alongside some of the famous and acclaimed actors of Hollywood. The film is all about saving the planet but is treated with a different angle. 

The latest black comedy film chronicles the journey of two scientists to inform and educate people around the world about an alien object, which is about to hit the Earth and completely destroy it. The movie aimed to film scenes that can portray effortless humour along with a strong message. However, most of the shots seemed to be struggling with it. 

Adam McKay's direction didn’t do justice to the story that was written by himself along with David Sirota. The director’s vision with the experimental shot of running two-time slots parallelly as it creates confusion for the audience to keep up with the movie. 

In the beginning, the audience waits to witness something extraordinary as this multi-starrer film builds up, while they never get to see anything, which we generally expect from a space movie. Instead, the film possesses many soap opera elements such as betrayals, extra-marital affairs, police arrests and more. 

What can we watch Don’t Look Up for…?

Well, for starters, the acclaimed Hollywood actors. They are a part of the movie for that very reason, to make it tolerable and help the audience try and give it a watch. The stars including DiCaprio, Lawrence, Streep, Blanchett, Hill have nailed their roles and that’s what keeps the film afloat.

The film also reminds you of The Devil Wears Prada as Streep can once again be seen as a mean and selfish person. She plays the role of the President of the country and has a funny side to her.

Spoiler Alert! Chalamet’s entry towards the end does make the audience tolerate Don’t Look Up for a little longer, while the film’s one and the only pleasant surprising moment comes for the Indian audience when the Bollywood actor Ishaan Khatter enters the scene for a few seconds.

Meanwhile, Linus Sandgren’s cinematography along with the great visual effects is something to look out for in this diabolical piece of art.

As a movie buff, I would have loved the film if it would have been made with a serious tone and tried the least to be funny. 

Verdict:

Don’t look up could have been unworthy to watch. However, the audience can take a risk to watch the movie just for the good performances by most of the cast members.