Film: Understand The Don't Look Up Phenomenon In 5 Questions
The movie Don't Look Up released on Netflix on December 24, 2021 has been getting a lot of buzz in recent weeks. Here are 5 things to know about this comedy with a powerful message that is becoming a cultural phenomenon.
1- What is this film?
Don't Look Up is a film directed by Adam McKay and offered exclusively on the Netflix platform.
Since its release on December 24, 2021, this film has not stopped occupying the top 10 of Netflix and especially fueling conversations and debates.
Indeed, it is a comedy, but a comedy that delivers a very serious message.
A true parable of humanity's indifference to Climate change, this film of more than 2 hours perfectly illustrates the warning message launched by Jacques Chirac in 2002 at the 4th Earth Summit: 'Our house is burning and we look away'.
Between humor and despair, this comedy adopts a satirical disaster movie tone to alert us to our own inadequate reactions to the current ecological challenge.
2- What is it about?
Don't Look Up features two mediocre astrophysicists working for a small Michigan university.
When they discover that a comet is heading straight for planet Earth with a deadly impact expected in 6 months, they immediately alert NASA, the President of the United States and the national mainstream media.
But the prospect of the end of the world is quickly pushed out of the news by the gossip of the moment.
Our two whistleblowers are sidelined and their warnings don't carry much weight in the face of the profits that some people hope to make from this comet.
3- What is the cast?
This bittersweet comedy boasts a stellar cast with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as the two astrophysicists who try to alert humanity.
Our two heroes who are outraged and explode with anger on prime time television are labeled crazy, as they try to provoke a salutary awakening from their fellow citizens.
Secondary characters also include Meryl Streep as the President of the United States, Cate Blanchett, Tomer Sisley and Jonah Hill.
4- Why does it make the buzz?
Among the most viewed films on Netflix in many countries, Don't Look Up has achieved the best start for an original film on the platform, with some 152 million viewing hours logged in just two weeks of release!
It must be said that its theme is very topical because, through this story of cosmic denial, this comedy wishes above all to alert us to our own denial in the face of the ecological challenges that await us.
This phenomenon of denial is becoming so widespread that scientists have given it a name: eco anxiety. This term refers to worry about the future, coupled with an inability to guard against predicted disasters (like global warming, for example).
It is not surprising that Leonardo DiCaprio, who is very committed to the environmental cause, agreed to be cast.
Other activists involved in environmental issues have said they can relate to the distress and loneliness of the two heroes in this film.
Fortunately, in the film, the astrophysicists take the opposite view of eco-anxiety and encourage their fellow citizens to take action.
5- Where can we watch it?
To watch the new movie everyone is talking about, you have to be a subscriber to the Netflix platform.
The release of Don't Look Up on Netflix is expected to reach over 200 million subscribers worldwide.
The scientific community, moreover, has jumped on the opportunity to praise the film's message, analyze it, qualify its point and bring the ecological issue to the forefront.
