Don't Look up: A Netflix win but public floop

A new Netflix original film is climbing the ranks with its humorous take on serious, real-world issues. Don’t Look Up broke the Netflix record for most hours viewed in a single week, racking up 152 million hours streamed. 

By Isabelle Delostrinos
Culture Columnist

Don’t Look Up, directed by Adam McKay, revolves around the many difficulties scientists face when presenting their findings to the public. Kate Dibiasky, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Dr. Randall Mindy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, are faced with a life-changing discovery. To their revelation, they find that a comet is headed towards earth with the ability to destroy the planet on impact. In complete distress, Dibiasky and Mindy immediately get in contact with both NASA and the government to initiate a plan of action to save humanity. However, their doctorate education from Michigan State was not enough to prove the seriousness of the issue. Throughout the movie, the two struggle to educate society on the reality that is to come as the denial of politicians and society’s stronger interest in celebrity drama makes it difficult for any progress to be made. Will the scientists be able to overcome these obstacles and get the world to believe them?

Due to the film’s star-studded cast and its satirical approach being enough to break viewership records, how is it really being received? With a cast containing Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet, Kid Cudi, and Jonah Hill, just to name a few, this movie was set to become popular amongst Netflix users. Although the message of the movie was loud and clear, responses to the film are still mixed. Turns out, Don’t Look Up received only 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics see it as a misfire while viewers on Tik Tok can’t look past the randomness of the cast. It’s ironic how a film about listening to scientists is only being criticized in actual life during the second year of a global pandemic. 

If you haven’t watched it yet, Don’t Look Up is available to stream 24/7 on Netflix.