It's the End of the World, and I Like It
SCORE: 85/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
I remember being sold on this film from just the trailer, and I'm still reeling after what I've seen.
Let's start with the positives, because there are a great many of them. The cast is amazing here, and easily one of the highlights of the film. DiCaprio and Lawrence are incredible here, and the film wouldn't have worked if their performances didn't. Also incredible are Streep and Mark Rylance, playing the stand in for Trump President and the stand in for tech billionaires respectively. In fact, everyone in the cast is great, and there really are no duds. Their performances all blend reality and fiction in such a way that it's so much fun to watch.
What is also apparent from the trailers is that, while this is a comedy about a massive disaster, it is also a political and societal parody. This film absolutely skewers and destroys those it's attempting to portray (particularly the GOP, Mass Media, and big tech). However, it also parodies other parts of our society, from Tik Tok and social media to racism and the internet. It's almost a condemnation of American society, and I'm all here for it. This is EXACTLY how our nation would react to an event such as this. In fact, the film feels so real that it almost doesn't feel like a parody as much as a darker alternate reality.
However, that leads me to a positive for me that may be a negative for others. This film is brutally dark with its comedy and its commentary, and it may be too dark for some. While I appreciate the fact that it's skewering everyone and everything on the planet, its dire tone and messaging will certainly be either "too real" or "too dark" for some audience members. Typically, I'd recommend films like this to my parents or others in my family or friend circles, but this one will come with a warning. Even though I really liked this film, it did leave me feeling a bit down afterward, so I'd highly recommend watching when you're in a good mood.
While I do like the film, there are a few negative points that I do feel need to be addressed. First is its length. Coming in at two hours and eighteen minutes, it feels long for a comedy. There are a number of shots and sequences in the film that felt a little too gratuitous and long. Many shots cut to inanimate objects, or odd uses of stock footage, instead of focusing on our characters. The shots that show us the anxiety and tension of the characters is incredible, but many others feel unnecessary. In addition to that is the editing, which can feel really jarring at times, and its frantic jumping back and forth can feel like the film doesn't know what it's trying to do.
In the end, I still really enjoyed the film. It's not for everyone, but I had a lot of fun in its dire tone and message, and it feels right in line with all of McKay's other work. It's on Netflix, so if you have it go for it!
Final Thought: Don't Look Up may have a couple missteps behind the camera, but its cast and parodical takedown of American society are too good to pass up, even if its darkness can alienate some.
Score: 85/100
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