Whatever you do, “Don’t Look Up!”

One of my favorite movies of all time is Mike Judge’s Idiocracy. Although not imagined as a documentary, history has proven otherwise. And (by the way), years ahead of schedule!

***Spoilers Below!***

In that same spirit of not-supposed-to-be-a-documentary, Don’t Look Up takes current events (including global warming, “living in these unprecedented times,” and what happens when nepotism runs rampant) through an almost incredulous lens. Today’s power-hungry, celebrity-obsessed, politically weary society needs to hear this message. (Not all news shows need to run the extreme gamut from “let’s all yell lies at each other” to “everything is so peachy perfect! follow us online, subscribe and forget the world!”) I honestly forget the source of the phrase “Every good disaster movie begins with a group of people not listening to the scientists,” but that definitely applies here. If you’re not familiar with the movie, witness the trailer below:

There is so much to say about this movie, but in all honesty, why? I say that primarily because precisely because the people who need to see this movie, and identify with the situations presented within it, will either not see this movie, or the moral will be completely lost on them. A couple of things I will say:

1. Not only does this movie remind me of Idiocracy, but there are definitely some bits and pieces of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy mixed in. Some of the stock shots of life on Earth (hippos, sheep, etc.) could’ve been pulled directly from the 2005 movie version of Hitchhiker’s, and the final scene of the survivors landing on the alien planet could’ve been lifted straight from the end of the 80s BBC TV series.
2. Honestly, by about halfway through the movie, I started rooting for the comet. I was so tired of watching these miserable people take it all for granted.
3. Oh, one more thing. Initially, I was disappointed to see Jonah Hill’s character survive, but then I realized he was really suffering a fate worse than death. So that made it okay.
4. OK, OK, the list is getting longer. I just want to say I’m now going to go find Ariana Grande’s Just Look Up single on Spotify. It needs to be there… (Update: It is.)

Anyway, if you are so inclined, watch this movie on Netflix. Links to other, more better articles about this movie:

• Don’t Look Up Ending Explained and Post-Credits Scene Spoilers (parade.com)