Adam McKay's latest film, Don't Look Up, avoids the biggest problem plaguing most of Netflix's original movies. Don't Look Up follows two astronomers, Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), as they frustratingly attempt to alert the world to the impending apocalypse headed towards planet Earth in the form of a giant comet. McKay's vision was a new take on disaster films, with Don't Look Up focusing more on the political aspect of world-ending catastrophes.
Even though the film was met with mixed reviews, it quickly became one of Netflix's most popular releases. Don't Look Up currently sits in third place on Netflix's most-watched original movies list behind Don't Look Up's star-studded cast definitely contributed to the film's success.
Interestingly, however, Don't Look Up's most controversial aspects helped it steer clear of one of the biggest problems previous Netflix originals faced. Previous exclusive releases on the platform like Red Notice and Extraction were easily forgettable, as they failed to grab the general public's attention for more than a brief few days. Don't Look Up's strong sociopolitical message coupled with its mixed reviews allowed it to linger a little longer in the public consciousness and avoid the issue its predecessors faced.
While Don't Look Up's heavy-handed political comments and obvious real-world parallels might have irritated some viewers, it inspired interesting debates as audiences took to social media platforms to voice their opinions on the film's various talking points. Don't Look Up's plot emphasizes the concept of a world too distracted for its own good, a concept inspired by various events and proceedings in real life, especially in the past few years. Such a relevant plot was bound to extend to real-world discussions led by those who watched the film, the number of which was boosted by Don't Look Up's divisive reviews. The McKay picture was met with a near equal amount of positive and negative reviews, reflected by its 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The lack of a clear consensus from critics coupled with the social media buzz around the film motivated many viewers to watch the film and decide where they stand on it themselves, adding gas to a very controversial flame.
Don't Look Up is a fresh take on a tired genre, as it focused on sending a message rather than the CGI action customary of disaster films. The controversy surrounding both Don't Look Up's quality and messaging ultimately aided it in avoiding what even the most popular Netflix originals tend to suffer from. Don't Look Up might not get the long-lasting impact it was aiming for, but it certainly did more to stir conversation than any of the other Netflix originals released in the past few years.
