Line #30 YMMV/DontLookUp


1	* AccidentalAesop:
2	** "People should take the threat of an apocalyptic comet collision more seriously". The film treats the comet as a straightforward ClimateChangeAllegory, but the fear of a comet hitting Earth and causing widespread destruction is a genuine one held by a number of scientists and astronomers. And unlike climate change, which does have plenty of funding dedicated to the issue as well as general buy-in from elites that it’s worth taking seriously, comet tracking programs are chronically underfunded when they exist at all, with the actual risk of a comet collision being viewed by the general populace as minuscule to the point where a popular film can use the idea as a fantastical metaphor for an issue seen as more pressing.
3	** Given how forgone a conclusion can be when celestial bodies get involved, one could be forgiven for thinking that the film was about facing the end—whatever that end might be—rather than about climate change specifically.
4	** '''Always''' field test your devices before you use them, especially when incredibly high stakes are involved, and listen to other people’s opinions. In Peter Ishwell's case, he didn’t bother to test his drones and even removed anyone from the project who raised questions or concerns about the legitimacy of the plan, due to his own ego and hubris, [[spoiler:which resulted in the BASH drones failing to destroy the comet]].
5	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
6	** Does Orlean offer Mindy (who has publicly denounced her) [[spoiler:two seats on the SleeperShip]] because she wants to exploit him (given the general uselessness of the ship's passengers) or as a PetTheDog moment? Her general personality suggests the former, but her lack of frustration [[spoiler:when he refuses]] could indicate the latter.
7	** Given how nonchalant Isherwell was at [[spoiler:the failure of the mission, and having a high-tech backup plan]], is it possible he [[spoiler:intended for it to fail and have the comet wipe out the Earth just so he could be the savior of a select handful]]? Additionally, [[spoiler: the failure of the joint China-Russia-India deflection mission may not have been a testament to those countries not being as capable as the US, but may have been deliberate US intervention at Isherwell's behest to secure resources and remove an obstacle to his goals, which is TruthInTelevision]].
8	* {{Anvilicious}}: The film's own director and writer, Creator/AdamMcKay, [[https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film/a38157701/dont-look-up-adam-mckay-interview/ called the movie]] "the most thinly disguised metaphor in the history of metaphors" in how it compares the in-universe response to the comet to the real-world response to GlobalWarming. As one might guess from that quote, it was absolutely intentional.
9	* {{Applicability}}: In-between the movie being announced (2019) and released (2021), there was the emergence of the Usefulnotes/Covid19Pandemic, and audiences could recognize many of the global warming-related criticisms (denialism, greed, questionable government response) as also relating to the virus.
10	* AudienceAlienatingEnding: Several critics thought this about the movie's ending [[spoiler:where everyone on Earth dies due to human greed]] made it completely pointless to watch, resulting in its mixed reviews and many who found out about the ending not bothering to watch it.
11	* AwardSnub:
12	** While the film itself has some accolades along with 4 oscar nominations including Best Picture, Adam [=McKay=] didn't get a Best Director nod nor were any of the AllStarCast nominated in the acting categories despite well-received performances all around.
13	** "Just Look Up" by Music/ArianaGrande and Music/KidCudi, as their respective characters Riley Bana and DJ Chello, also got snubbed for Best Original Song.
14	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
15	** [[https://youtu.be/wFeZ2EOc8KY "Just Look Up"]] by Music/ArianaGrande and Music/KidCudi, thanks to the hilarious lyrics sung as a sweeping ballad.
16	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrVxcQp0SR0 Second Nature]]" by Music/BonIver. Which serves as an equivalent to Music/VeraLynn's "We'll Meet Again" for ''Film/DrStrangelove''.
17	** Nicholas Britell's score is generally great, but every variation of its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZHk3gWsBu4 main theme]] is legitimately awesome, with the jazzy and energetic nature of the the main version clashing with the doom-laden tone of the four note descending scale being unsettling yet catchy at the same time. Likewise, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE854zHWEHo&list=PLaK2kuexAkFP6SaXWs3CItbXC47xnExTf&index=26 Memento Mori]]", the cue that plays over the final scene, is ''beautifully'' depressing and moving, and manages to hold the same amount of emotion on its own as it does in the film, even down to its [[DownerEnding abrupt ending]].
18	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AKQbnNeCC0 Thanksgiving (Overture To Logic And Knowledge)]]. This music makes at least half of the scene it accompanies.
19	* BrokenBase: The ending. [[spoiler: All life on Earth is killed by the meteor. Some people find the ending powerful in how melancholy and tragic it is knowing that every living thing still on the planet died because of human greed. Other people are not fond of how cynical it is and feel the ending is cruel just for the sake of it, especially after all the protagonists have been through trying to warn the world. They also criticize that there is no point in watching a movie where things just get worse and worse to a point where you are just waiting for the characters to die by the ending.]]
20	* CatharsisFactor: The mid-credits scene. [[spoiler:Given that the rich elites on board (especially Isherwell and Orlean) were directly responsible for ending all life on Earth, seeing them [[EpicFail completely fail]] to properly survive on the alien planet they attempted to escape to feels like a KarmicDeath. While the ending is unquestionably bleak and depressing, viewers can at least take some solace in the fact that the rich ghouls ''didn't'' get the last laugh.]]
21	* CriticalDissonance: Critics were mixed, seeing the film as well-made and well-intentioned, but also heavy-handed and mean-spirited, garnering the film a 56% on Website/RottenTomatoes. It still managed to debut at #1 on Netflix, and the audience score on the same site was a more respectable 77%. One group that unanimously adored it were climate scientists, who felt that some of the criticisms of the movie revealed more about the people making them than about the film itself. It's to the point that [[https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2021/12/28/why-sneering-critics-dislike-netflixs-dont-look-up-but-climate-scientists-love-it/?sh=394d26ef2ee8 "critics vs. scientists"]] became a common narrative after it debuted, ironically mirroring the in-universe frustration that the main characters come to have with the media themselves. One science contributor for ''The Guardian'' pointed out that many of the criticisms of the movie sound ''like'' dialogue from the movie. On the other hand, many of the movie's detractors dismissed it as being obnoxiously self-important and with an unwarranted confidence in the effectiveness of its message, and expressed frustration over their view of the cast as being wealthy, privileged Hollywood fixtures lecturing the masses on issues they rarely assist with themselves. The divide deepened after the film received a Best Picture nomination at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, with many critics decrying the nomination and Creator/JimmyKimmel accusing those who voted for it of elitism on [[Series/JimmyKimmelLive his show]], claiming they should have voted for ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' instead, and even during the Academy Award ceremony, where co-host Creator/AmySchumer made a joke about the nomination, saying that the reason the film was nominated was because the Academy apparently "[[TitleDrop don't look up]] reviews"; the dramatic reactions drew notable blowback from supporters of the film.
22	* DontShootTheMessage: While they agree with the message of the film, more than a few critics and audiences were not amused by the movie's incredibly blunt and over-the-top take on human avarice and willful ignorance.
23	* EnsembleDarkHorse: Yule. Played by Creator/TimotheeChalamet? Check. Is a slacker with HiddenDepths and one of the only likeable characters in the movie? Check. Has one of the most poignant scenes in the film? Check.
24	* FriendlyFandoms: Because of the movie's leftist messaging, many of its fans also enjoy similar works that provide similarly leaning social and political commentary via sci-fi metaphors, such as ''Film/{{Get Out\|2017}}'', ''Film/SorryToBotherYou'', ''Film/{{Parasite\|2019}}'' and ''Series/SquidGame''. This was enhanced in ''Parasite'''s case when Creator/BongJoonHo listed ''Don't Look Up'' among his favorite films of the year.
25	* HarsherInHindsight: An odd example of this happening during late production; the climate change metaphor turned out to double as an eerily spot-on metaphor for the struggle to get people to make even the most basic efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and the absurd vilification of the experts desperately trying to save people from their own stupidity.
26	* HesJustHiding: [[spoiler:Jason surviving the initial strike]] has some fans hoping other, more sympathetic characters, may have also survived. Even [[spoiler:Kate, Yule, Teddy, and the Mindy family]] invite some of this despite how a wall of fire hits their home.
27	* LoveToHate: Sir Peter Isherwell endangers the entire planet with his greedy plan, but his utterly bizarre nature makes him one of the film's funniest and easily its creepiest character, with Creator/MarkRylance's sheer commitment to the baffling strange role getting a good deal of praise.
28	* MemeticMutation: Creator/MelanieLynskey is three years younger than Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and plays his wife. This has led to some sections of the Internet saying that [=DiCaprio=]'s biggest acting challenge is acting romantically interested in a middle-aged woman, given that most of his partners skew ''a lot'' younger than him.
29	* MisaimedFandom: Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) [[https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1475226162964013059 praised the movie]] and showed interest in it, despite the fact that the film was made from a leftist perspective and intended to criticize corporate-aligned politicians such as herself regardless of party affiliation. Some even [[https://twitter.com/papermarkis/status/1476398857365995535 directly compared Sinema to President Orlean herself]] in the replies.
30	* MoralEventHorizon:
31	** Isherwell crosses it when [[spoiler:he fires Dr. Mindy's colleagues from his BEAD project for asking too many questions and lets the project go on without adequate review, dooming the entire planet to destruction]]. While [[spoiler:his prior decision to abort the mission was already incredibly unconscionable, Peter ''could'' have potentially avoided crossing the MEH if his plan to safely destroy the comet was reliable enough to work. However, his [[CantTakeCriticism treatment]] of the scientists on the team as well as the existence of his SleeperShip show that he ''knew'' that his plan could fail, and any concern he had for humanity's survival took a backseat to his delusions of grandeur and the chance to ''possibly'' make money]].
32	** President Orlean crosses it when she completely ignores the comet even though she knows the impact is a certainty, just because she doesn't think acting benefits her. And right after she actually does try to destroy the comet (for purely selfish reasons) she cements her awfulness by [[spoiler: going along with Isherwell's plan, effectively dooming the planet]].
33	** Kate's parents crossed it when they disowned her leaving her homeless and all by herself for her anti-comet stance as they believe in Isherwell's reckless and greedy plan to mine the comet.
34	* QuestionableCasting: While a lot of big names have minor roles in this film, Creator/MichaelChiklis' casting stands out as distracting given the well known actor plays a completely nonessential character who's onscreen for less than a minute. And unlike a cameo like Creator/ChrisEvans, he actually pops up several times, meaning he most likely had a larger role that was left on the cutting room floor.
35	* {{Padding}}: A common complaint is that the movie goes on for too long. Some have argued a good number of characters in the very large cast having their roles reduced or cut would've helped this issue and kept the movie more streamlined.
36	* SuperfluousSolo: Riley Bina and DJ Chello are minor characters who have no effect on the plot, but perform a whole musical number anyway. While the scene showcases the growing support for Randall and Kate's campaign, that was already displayed in the montage leading up to said scene, and the extended song does nothing to really alter or add to this. Ultimately, "Just Look Up" appears to just happen because when you have Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi in the same movie, you might as well have them do a song.
37	* SpiritualSuccessor:
38	** Some people jokingly note that this movie is "the Netflix adaptation of ''Manga/{{Remina}}''". Exclusion of CosmicHorrorStory aspect of Creator/JunjiIto's manga aside, ''Don't Look Up'' shares some similar plot points: an incoming planet-killer named after the main heroine, [[HumansAreMorons a human populace behaving irrationally after learning about it]], pointed satire of celebrity culture, and [[spoiler:[[TheElitesJumpShip the rich elites successfully escaping]] the destruction of Earth [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty only to meet a more painful demise]] on what turns out to be a DeathWorld. Though oddly enough, [[RayOfHopeEnding it had a happier ending]].]]
39	** Several critics have noted that the film is very much in the vein of ''Film/DrStrangelove'', being a BlackComedy about a disaster threatening to end the world that would have been relatively easily to put a stop to, but manages to spin utterly out of control due to human incompetence and short-sightedness, and a big helping of moments of supreme narcissism and even outright insanity on behalf of the cast. [[spoiler:The two films even have a pretty similar ending, as the respective disasters end up succeeding in destroying the world.]] Even Bon Iver's ending song "Second Nature" has the line "We will see you next time", which is like Vera Lynn's song for ''Dr. Strangelove'', "We'll Meet Again".
40	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
41	** Yule only pops up partway through the film and once he's quickly gotten together with Kate, he and their romance then spend the rest of the story largely OutOfFocus.
42	** Riley Bina and DJ Chello wind up supporting Kate and Randall, but their effort comes and goes without any kind of meaningful impact before they're never seen again. The former at least reoccurs a few times, but the latter only has two brief appearances.
43	** General Drask is made up to be a key player in stopping the comet only to exit the movie very shortly after entering it, popping up just one more time afterwards.
44	** A few viewers have noted that Kate feels sidelined in favor of Randall, who has much more of an arc and an impact on the plot while she remains secondary to him and non-changing. Some have even said it might've made more sense if the movie had just one lead because of this.
45	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The performance of "Just Look Up" occurs after support for Randall and Kate's movement has grown exponentially, which makes the number feel like it's going on too long since it had no actual effect on the plot. This could've been downplayed if it was used to be a huge initial boost to their cause instead of just one small additional. It would even line up with Riley Bana's prior characterization given she was already worried about the comet and did earlier charity work, so it would make sense if she tried to give Randall and Kate this platform.
46	* TooBleakStoppedCaring: It's a movie about smart people mostly being ignored by greedy and unsympathetic authority figures and a moronic populace that is ignorant to the doomsday closing in on them. Not helping matters is that it dropped ''on Christmas Eve''. Notably, even its trailer caused this, as it did not beat around the bush regarding its tone and story, leading many people to correctly predict the ending months in advance.
47	* TheWoobie: Kate Dibiasky - after discovering the comet, she finds herself frustrated by the apathy of her fellow people. She is ruthlessly mocked and memed after her breakdown on live TV, with her own boyfriend jumping on the bandwagon and breaking up with her. She is later forced to go off the grid and drop out of college. By the start of the third act, she has basically given up on humanity, ultimately coming to the conclusion that HumansAreMorons [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters or the Real Monsters]] and that [[ItIsBeyondSaving the world is beyond saving]].

Context YMMV / DontLookUp