Director of Don’t Look Up reveals he was shocked by the polarizing reviews of the film

Virgin Radio

31 Jan 2022, 16:36

“Across the board with the critical reception, the audience response, there was no middle ground.”

Don’t Look Up was released on Netflix in the UK in early December 2021, but it has only started to generate interest in the past couple of weeks.

The film describes itself as a science fiction black comedy and follows two astronomers who are attempting to warn the world about an approaching comet that will destroy humanity.

After showing their findings to The White House, they are met with apathy from President Jane Orlean (Meryl Streep), so the astronomers decide to take matters into their own hands and go straight to the media, breaking the news on a morning talk show.

Director Adam McKay has previously said the life-threatening event of a comet hitting the earth is an allegory for climate change, and the film acts as a satire of the governmental, political and media response to the climate crisis.

It is partly a plea for urgency and partly a dark comedy.

Due to the range of emotional and environmental issues, it seeks to address, Don’t Look Up has generated a variety of different and opposing reviews.

Director and writer of the film, Adam McKay, has said he was quite shocked at the polarizing opinions it has received.

Speaking in an interview for Variety magazine, the director said: “I think we were all quite shocked. The reviews were pretty much 50-50, and that's fine, we've all been through that. But I was shocked by the really intense anger that some critics had. We had been screening the movie and had gotten no reactions like that ever. Generally speaking, test audiences were laughing.

"So, when reviews came out... That's not to say they're incorrect. Of course, responses will be complicated and passionate."

He did say he kind of anticipated some mixed opinions because of the topics the film covers, but it was the passion people displayed in their opinions that surprised him.

Adam continued: “When it was released on Netflix, I was equally shocked by the passionate, positive responses. I’d never seen anything like that. People crying, laughing.

 "So across the board, with the critical reception, the audience response, there was no middle ground. And eventually, it became 'We're in 2022, of course, those will be the reactions.'"

Adam is probably best known for directing films like Step Brothers, Anchorman and Vice, so he’s had a lot of experience directing both comedy and political satire before.

Whatever your opinions on Don’t Look Up, it certainly is an interesting watch, and with a killer cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Timothy Chalamet.

Don’t Look Up is now available to watch on Netflix.