Don't Look Up (Adam McKay) [Netflix]

pixelburp · 08-09-2021 3:18pm #1

McKay's follow-up to 2018's Vice; looks like a much more comedic (and obviously fictional) vehicle than the last couple of openly political polemics he has helmed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL9aJcqrtnw

JP Liz V1 · 08-09-2021 7:01pm

Looks end of the world disaster comedy with a great ensemble cast, I'm sold

pixelburp · 27-09-2021 8:20am

Another trailer popped up via Netflix's own event:

https://youtu.be/Op_v2PHDn-0

silverharp · 27-09-2021 9:58am

interesting premise , but cant get behind the dialogue, maybe it suits americans but Im scratching around for a knitting needle to poke my ears

Dades · 27-09-2021 4:58pm

Looking forward to this as something a little off the wall.

pixelburp · 16-11-2021 6:06pm

A full trailer has dropped. Not sure what I make of what I've seen. The comedy doesn't quite land but the idea and premise I like. Feels like a cousin to something like Idiocracy, with the broad populous behaving some moronically.

https://youtu.be/RbIxYm3mKzI

Slydice · 16-11-2021 8:27pm

Looks like it's meant to be a comedy and also noticed it's R rated!

Maybe they have something in it that they think will have an impact! 😀

kerplun k · 16-11-2021 11:49pm

Looks like one of the more interesting films Netflix are bringing to the table. But c'mon, people are't that stupid are they? I mean, they are, some of the reactions too COVID proves how idiotic we can be, but if a comet was barreling towards earth, I'm sure the masses wouldn't need to be convinced that the threat is real. I know it's only the trailer, but I just can't help but feel that if this is how the film plays it, I'll be thinking the whole time, why aren't people freaking out.

pixelburp · 17-11-2021 9:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118178350#Comment_118178350

Thing is, would they freak out? Looking at things from an American PoV, mapped against CoVid and yeah; I could entirely believe a large slice of America would either believe the asteroid was Fake News or just treat it like a hyped flavour of the week on TikTok. The tone from the trailer does seem a bit all over the place, but the resting ambivalence / stupidity of the population feels about right from what I've seen the last 4-5 years.

kerplun k · 17-11-2021 12:44pm

I’d certainly hope so. Surely the world hasn’t got that bad, has Is?

Its kind of depressing to think about.

Again, it’s just a trailer, but everyones reaction to impending death seems a little bit too casual, but then again, Is it a million miles away from what would actually happen under a Trump style administration 😀

FortuneChip · 10-12-2021 10:32am

Oh dear, this doesn't seem to be landing too well with critics currently.

The trailer wasn't too inspiring, but it's still a surprise given the amount of talent on screen.

santana75 · 10-12-2021 11:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118299543#Comment_118299543

Yeah the critical response hasn't exactly been warm. But I'm gonna give it the benefit of the doubt, I think there mat be a bit of petty niggle on the part of the critics here.

Shybride2016 · 20-12-2021 10:51pm

Curious as to whether anyone has seen it yet and what you thought of it?

Saw it in the Lighthouse opening weekend. Looking forward to watching it again on Netflix Christmas Eve!

pixelburp · 21-12-2021 8:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118299763#Comment_118299763

I get the impression McKay has stated getting pushback as this generations Michael Moore, seen as a bit of a polemic. Which isn't a wild swing; I've likes his movies, and yeah, the climate be fúcked and Cheney a villain ... but he has scarcely been especially considered or sober in his topics either.

Skerries · 24-12-2021 7:58pm

just finished it and I must say I enjoyed it, it was very wry like a Christopher Guest or Armando Iannucci film

fritzelly · 25-12-2021 3:47am

Any preconceived ideas you have going to watch this movie just ditch them now - it's nothing like you expect

It was brilliant, stellar cast, probably a very true view of how things would happen and a damning indictment of society and certain people

Thoroughly recommend it and it's got a great ending! (and there is a small post credits scene)

Netflix knocked it outta the park with this one

patnor1011 · 25-12-2021 5:13am

One of the best I seen lately. It simply show how dumb we collectively become. It has so much in common with what is happening right now I almost think it will be banned soon...

Seriously, I was laughing so much so often I have to watch it 2-3x more for all the stuff I may have missed when I was ROFL.

fritzelly · 25-12-2021 5:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371736#Comment_118371736

The writer wasn't a Trump supporter for sure

patnor1011 · 25-12-2021 5:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371737#Comment_118371737

I would rather say that they took aim on everyone Trump included. It was pretty cleverly mixed so they can hardly be accused of some wrong think by just one side.

They simply made the fun out of everyone and it was a pleasure to watch. Would watch it again now but I am going to enjoy it again with more people around.

fritzelly · 25-12-2021 5:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371740#Comment_118371740

Thought it was a really big dig at Trump with the badges etc (but yeah a dig at lots of things) - for sure something I could easily watch again very soon

patnor1011 · 25-12-2021 5:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371741#Comment_118371741

Mostly Trump but whole US system with their rallies and corporations, greed... There was Brandon sniffing hair there too lol...

Just the first minute made me laugh for some time - that quote at the start was incredible.

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather,

not screaming and yelling in terror like his passengers."

fritzelly · 25-12-2021 6:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371742#Comment_118371742

Probably too late for post production, maybe they could have added it in, but if he said

Like and subscribe, dislike if you want because no one can see it

...would have been hilarious

Table Top Joe · 25-12-2021 11:46am

Saw this last night, had been looking forward to it (saw a short clip and noticed the cast, knew nothing else about it)......and have to say, I thought it was mostly crap. Incredibly patronising and to be honest, very cringey and lame. I was expecting Dicaprio to turn to the camera at one point and say "THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE!"......ya Leo, we get it.

I'm all for taking action on climate change but there's something a little nauseating about celebrities being paid millions to preach to the rest of us about it (fond of private jets, yachts and limos too isn't Mr Dicaprio?)

The White Wolf · 25-12-2021 2:56pm

Not my favourite McKay film but enough there to enjoy.

It's a bit all over the place in tone however.

I thought it was all set up for the Rylance character's idea to succeed through pure dumb luck. Because of that the ending just didn't land with me. It turned into Deep Impact when I thought they could have done more.

flasher0030 · 25-12-2021 5:54pm

Watched an hour of it last night. Had to head to bed as kids would be up a few hours later. Loved the first hour of it anyway. Thought it was quite witty. Maybe it falls apart in the second half, hence some poor reviews on here. But I'm really looking forward the other 1.5 hrs later tonight, if it's anything like the first hour.

patnor1011 · 25-12-2021 9:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118371951#Comment_118371951

You only need to look at it as a parody. I think I am not far from the truth here if I say they actually pointed out all that craziness happening around us for the last few years. From the elections, lobbying, business and how "science" can be manipulated to suit agenda or narrative.

Still stihl waters 3 · 25-12-2021 9:55pm

Great movie and a great end with them sitting around the table when it all went tits up, and thankfully at least it didn't end with the usual American moral bullshìt saving the planet with how the message of love and hope can beat all, one of the best films I've watched in a long time

jeremyr62 · 25-12-2021 11:12pm

I too thought it was decent. It seems to be attracting a lot of very poor "professional" reviews though. Possibly because they are part of the system the film was taking pot shots at.

paulbok · 26-12-2021 12:10am

A little long (especially watching it full of turkey) but enjoyed it. Absolutely nailed how society has become / is becoming.

HalloweenJack · 26-12-2021 12:30am

Just watched it now and thought there was a lot going on on a lot of levels.

Its a bit long and at times it felt garbled but it was enjoyable. The satire was quite cutting, especially with the president's son and the BASH character.

I'd recommend it. I don't think there's anything terribly new in it but it did hold a mirror up to modern society in a true way.

silver2020 · 26-12-2021 12:42am

A bit long, but a 7/10.

There is a finale clip of Jason Orlean after the credits.

But definitely takes the piss out of Trump

Table Top Joe · 26-12-2021 1:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118372966#Comment_118372966

But that’s kind of my point, we get it, who on earth wouldn’t get it? Is it really telling us anything we didn’t know?…..

Is there an easier target than Trump for Hollywood too? The guy is a moron imo but I think it’s fair to say those who like him, like him and those who don’t….don’t, if nothing changed anyones mind between 2016-2020 then I can’t see a Netflix movie making much of a difference at this point

Im sure Trump and his supporters are just devastated by it

The whole thing reeked of a smug Hollywood vanity project imo

26-12-2021 9:35am

This for me was the film of the year, and McKay is fast becoming my favourite modern director.

Its a satire in totality, and for me it took aim at the rapid decline of American society overall, highlighting again and again the modern shallow nature of people across the board, and one could say the whole thing was a metaphor for the great power that was once America rapidly declining and ultimately being destroyed.

For me this didnt take aim at either side, it took aim at everyone, and just showed that the whole place is a sad mockery of what it used to be. Not just the place but the people, the culture has fallen to pieces. This was not an anti republican piece, it relentlessly pinched the shallowness of the liberals while lampooning the conservatives of America. Incisive right to the core of a society breaking down with a media overwhelming in its nonsense and corporate interest. It showed virtue signalling is not a sign of virtue but more a sign of a fake personality while hitching yourself to lying politicians without thought because they fit your narrative is only embarrassing yourself.

I was amazed one film could sum up the culture of America so expertly, and it felt like a shaking of the head at the whole thing from a highly intelligent director with a Birdseye view of the society and no horse in the race. The humour was painfully funny at times, because we are being forced to watch how dumb and worthless western culture is becoming, while participating in it in our own way.

10/10

flasher0030 · 26-12-2021 11:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118373391#Comment_118373391

Why can't you just watch it as a piece of entertainment. A movie doesn't have to tell you something you don't already know. Watch a nature documentary if you want to be educated. And Netflix movie is not there to sway the public one way or the other towards Donald Trump.

It's a 2.5 hour piece of entertainment. And a good one at that. I thought it was brilliant. There was constant wit in the film that I was struggling to keep up with the images, satire, metaphors etc. I'm going to read up a bit about it, including spoilers cause it's not going to ruin it for me. And then I'm going to watch it back again, as I 'm sure some of it went over my head the first time.

Best film I have seen for a while.

Table Top Joe · 26-12-2021 12:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118373905#Comment_118373905

I did try and watch it as a piece of entertainment, I went into it fairly blind. I just found the jokes fairly lame tbh (making fun of Trump got old in 2016/17 imo) and then being bludgeoned to death with the message on top of it, didn't make for an interesting movie on any level for me.

If you feel some of it may have went over your head it explains why you found it so interesting and I didn't tbh

santana75 · 27-12-2021 12:45am

Saw it earlier and I thought it was great. Very funny and sharp. Can't understand the high numbers of negative reviews on the likes of RT though???? Maybe the people who are slating it are the very ones being lampooned in the film, and they don't even get it. Anyway maybe it's a tad too long but other than that it's solid bet.

Man Vs ManUre · 27-12-2021 12:51am

I think Mark Rylance stole the show in every scene he was in. Completely unrecognisable and complete piss-take of the current tech company owners. He should be in the running for best supporting actor. J Law was great too but was under used. The usual solid performance from Leo.

johnny_ultimate · 27-12-2021 12:56am

A bit of a stinker this one, unfortunately. I’m not a fan of McKay’s direction at all - I find his antsy, busy bombardment of imagery crude and distracting, and alas that is once again the case here. It’s edited to within an inch of its life, buying into that old Oscar cliche that the best editing is the most editing. There’s no sense of comic timing to any of this - it’s a baggy thing that stretches its conceit way too thin.

There’s a good idea at the heart of the film - a satire of society’s utter failure to take a clear, looming existential threat seriously. But that’s about all the film has to say about it. I was hoping the presence of prominent leftist journalist (or at least leftist by American standards) David Sirotta on the two-person writing team would give this thing a bit of zest. But regrettably I think the whole star-studded thing comes across, perhaps inadvertently, as glib and patronising in the very ‘Hollywood liberal’ sort of way - a sort of ‘look how bad you people are and how fucked the world is’ without really offering any kind of actual substantial solution. There are worthy targets taken to task here (in particular sinister corporate influence over policy and public opinion), but the satire is far too broad and said targets typically pretty easy. The film sets a lot of its cards on the table in the first 15-30 minutes - I don’t think it has much more juice to offer beyond that. While its obviously a satire about America, I found its absolute unwillingness to encompass a global perspective other than scattered references stood out quite a bit. Most of all, though, the film’s just not good.

I have no **** idea what film Mark Rylance thought he was in - I usually like the guy’s performances but my god this is a bad one.

There are spots where it might, despite itself, raise a chuckle or two. It starts from a worthwhile place but IMO never finds it feet as either a comedy or a drama despite trying very hard to be both. If you want a film about miserable bureaucratic and government failure to respond to a cataclysm, Shin Godzilla is sharper and funnier about it.

There’s a subplot here where the film takes aim at a light news show’s unwillingness to take grave news seriously, diluting it with humour and shallow platitudes. At its worst, this film is probably guilty of the same thing.

SouthWesterly · 27-12-2021 1:15am

Watched it over 2 nights. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the dig at trump with the caps at the convention. The end scene was telling. Society was doomed even as it sought to save itself.

Mad_maxx · 27-12-2021 1:16am

Enjoyed it but like most movies these days, too long

SnowyMuckish · 27-12-2021 1:33am

By no means Oscar worthy, but a hilarious parody of our existence

27-12-2021 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118376544#Comment_118376544

Rylance was the amalgamation of the genius billionaires of today, utterly ruthless, utterly fake and self interested, wrapping it up in a neat little package for the good of the human race to end world hunger. The beauty of it being his perceived leftist reasoning combined with his hitching to the conservative right party was the brilliance of the story. A cynical commentary that both teams at the top are as self interested as each other with just a different spin to suit their chosen followers.

sydthebeat · 27-12-2021 10:18am

Watched this yesterday.

The best satire is subtle.

Yanks can't do subtle satire.

johnny_ultimate · 27-12-2021 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118377005#Comment_118377005

Oh it’s impossible to miss what they’re going for with Rylance’s character :) The problem is the performance itself - affected to the point of distracting, and comedic without being remotely funny. He sucks the air out of every scene he’s in: a profoundly misjudged performance tonally.

silverharp · 27-12-2021 10:42am

the film is a mess, I was thinking take a great film like Dr Strnagelove and make it to the style of Its Always Sunny

Encrypted Pigeon · 27-12-2021 11:34am

Thought it was OK, wasn't a waste of 2+ hours. As a satire, I think it got its message across which could probably apply to more than our response to a dangerous near earth object. Any attempt at being a comedy I felt its delivery was very flat, couple of times I wanted to laugh, but felt pushed at best.

The closing sequence with the family around the table was well done which likely summarizes the outcome of an event of this magnitude.

27-12-2021 11:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118377086#Comment_118377086

I can see how it could have that affect alright, I thought it was a bold way to play the character. He was painfully annoying, and I think sucking the air out of the scenes was the point of it. The old Irish insult 'Shleeveen' would be a great way to describe Mr Bash!

SouthWesterly · 27-12-2021 11:42am

That was the whole point of bash. He takes the stage when he speaks, everyone hears him and he says nothing of importance

sydthebeat · 27-12-2021 11:54am

His playing the part as a socially awkward stiff didn't really hit the mark though. Probably trying to inflate the musk / Facebook guy

The Kronos reference was there to be hit with bombast but it was way too flat due to the way he played the character.

BailMeOut · 27-12-2021 11:57am

It's a modern day version of Dr. Strangelove which is pretty crap but still talked about and remembered 50 years later.

Cluedo Monopoly · 27-12-2021 12:00pm

I really enjoyed this movie. Really got me thinking.

Don't Look Up (Adam McKay) [Netflix]

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