Don't Look Up: A Satirical Social Commentary

Don't Look Up, is Netfilix's latest original release, the movie has stirred up many discussions online even before its release due to many well known actors taking part in it. Yet, the movie goes beyond the flashy wall of its famous cast and tackles many issues that society faces on a daily basis.

The movie follows scientists who discover a new comet, this is considered wonderful news, until calculations done by Prof. Mindy (played by Leonardo Dicaprio) determine the path the comet is taking is in direct collision with the earth; this leads them to seek out the president of the United States in order to take action and find a selution to evade immediate global extinction. However, the response they recieve is a dissmissive one, and they ultimtely find a way to broadcast the news to the media through a talk show, furthermore, the response by the media is no different. Nonetheless when the government realizes the gravity of the situation, action is taken in order to distroy the comet, although, a privatly owned corporation sees value in the comet, as it is made of scarce, valuble material, therefore, they prioratize capitalizing on the comet, rather than saving humanity which ultimately leads to the distruction of the earth.

Many issues are tackled in this picture, begining with the complacency of world governments regarding issues that threaten the earth and all life on it, in the movie, the comet is shown to be headed towards earth, not only through calculations, but eventually it could be seen by simply looking up, yet the goverment and a multi-billion dollar corporation still try to capitalize on it even though it threatens to wipe out everything on earth. In the real world, we see similar attitudes towards issues of climate change and the necessary action that needs to be taken in that regard.

Moreover, the movie thoroughly addresses the issue of social media, and its impact on the spread of fake news and the hysteria and division it leads to. It is shown to have the ability to distort the perception of the masses to the point where they can't see what's right in front of them, the comet which can be seen by the naked eye in the sky is still doubted by millions due to the grip corporations and governments have on the media, this goes along the lines of what is happening at the moment with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic, even though it is effecting people everywhere, and had lead hundreds of thousands to die, there are still many who refuse to take percautions and deny the reality of it.

This movie shines a light on social and political issues and the way it affects societies, and ultimately the entire planet. It is a fun watch with incredible acting and hilarious dark humor, and it is definately worth your time.