Don’t Look Up - A Problematic Metaphor For Climate Change?

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

A lot of work goes into these videos, if you want to help me make more like them, and get access to exclusive content, please check out my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/LikeStoriesofOld What were your thoughts on Don't Look Up? Let me know below!

[@henrychinaski]

This movie is a metaphor for how the pandemic, hoaxers, covid deniers, and blind loyalty to a political party is dangerous and foolish. It has nothing to do with climate change.

[@domahug]

@@henrychinaski I don’t think that’s the case. I’m pretty certain it’s about climate change considering the film was “Produced by Hyperobject Industries and Bluegrass Films, the film was announced in *November 2019*” If it was announced in 2019 then we hadn’t all gone through the pandemic. The general consensus is that it is almost completely about climate change.

[@donnmckee4973]

You're both right. It's a metaphor for people who deny science and the struggle scientist have conveying important discoveries

[@cheeseburgerinparadise7124]

@@donnmckee4973 You are both wrong. Its a logical fallacy, the appeal to authority and the continued and deliberate lack of communication/understanding of WHY people think differently about "the science." Its basically yet another passive aggressive and snarky attack against people that the left refuses to understand.

[@knowahnosenothing4862]

@@donnmckee4973 Not just science, people who deny the truth about reality because science can be bought & paid for to manipulate perception. It's about how most people have their head stuck in group think and are helplessly unable to lift their head from the trough and consume everything that is fed to them.

[@MarvinRoman]

My favorite quote in the movie was “You guys, the truth is way more depressing. They’re not even smart enough to be as evil as you’re giving them credit for.”

[@nonnobissolum]

The irony of smugly talking about "smart" but using the wrong they're...

[@popopop984]

@@nonnobissolum We’re not even smart enough to handle English grammar, you think we can defeat the world?

[@MarvinRoman]

​@@nonnobissolum copied directly from a movie quote site directly so... Still I admit that I have never been good at spelling and there is a good chance I would have gotten it wrong. My partner, whose first language is Mandarin Chinese, corrects my spelling pretty often ;)

[@nonnobissolum]

@@MarvinRoman It’s all good. Just struck me as funny🙂

[@asadhussain3446]

not a competition, "we really did have everything, didn't we" has to be the best line.

[@purumr]

"We really did have everything, didn't we? I mean, when you think about it." It became one of my favourite quote.

[@vijaykumar-nu5gs]

Mine too

[@AH-yg8xb]

It's an interesting quote. It makes me think of the christian basis of our morals. "At least we tried to be good", we can go to Heaven now. The absolution feeling.

[@purumr]

@@AH-yg8xb I am an atheist, for me it is a page out of stoicism philosophy on gratitude. In the continuous pursuit of dreams we often take what we already have granted.

[@AH-yg8xb]

​@@purumr I am also atheist. For me the quote represents the typical ingrained christian values on Western society of "feeling guilty" and a "sinner" and our need to find balance in that by doing good and gain our absolution. Check the previous video of this channel about the "Banality of Evil". It is a common trend for our culture to feel guilty and having the need of "at least doing something" to feel good with ourselves.

[@mattdonalds3310]

My favourite quote was the prayer for Stuff. So appropriate for how Christians really are.

[@randy4903]

When I first watched Don't Look Up, I was a little annoyed by the heavy-handedness of it. However, I thought about it and realized that the over-the-top absurd behavior of the various characters is probably how a lot of people who deny or misunderstand issues like climate change appear to experts on those issues, and then I was able to appreciate it a lot more. Like others have said, while it may have been written with climate change in mind, it definitely has a broader message about a society that often ignores warnings it's too late.

[@arthurfoyt6727]

Or, that ALL of "climate change" became irrelevant. The realization of having "climate change" put down to it's actual threat level was refreshing.

[@Andy-gg4xw]

As I'd paraphrase from Scarlett Johansson from Lucy (2011): "Ignorance brings Chaos."

[@bigguy7353]

Like the biologists I worked with who had been to the Arctic circle for years on end who challenged the ignorant narrative of sea ice diminishing and polar bears dying. They invited the media and gatekeeping "scientists" to come and see how there is more Arctic ice than ever and look at their firsthand data clearly showing the bears were doing just fine. No one showed up, because the money to be made off the lie is too great a force to combat by 3 people with the truth.

[@scratchy996]

This movie is like Starship Troopers. It looks like a bad movie on the surface, but it's a very good satire.

[@Notsogoodguitarguy]

The problem with heavy-handedness is that, if done poorly, can ruin your message. Short stories for kids are usually pretty heavy-handed with symbolism because kids have very little in the way of grasping concepts. But also, the things that are heavy-handed in children's stories are usually simple and easy and the heavy-handedness is used more to enforce the idea rather than to explain it. When you have to convince an adult, you have to make them think they came up with the idea. When you are heavy-handed, like this movie is, it comes off as mocking them. The movie isn't made for experts. Nothing that is made for mass consumption is made for experts and should be targeted at experts. If you're trying to convince general audiences, you don't make them feel stupid. You don't belittle them. It literally never works. You have to make them actually understand and come to a conclusion themselves. This is literally the difference between someone telling you that having your child die is awful and having your child actually die. In the first case, you'd feel a little empathy, but you wouldn't really understand it until you actually experience it. And, like LSO said, when you have something so daunting, complex and hard to comprehend even for the said experts, it's all the more vital to make an actual good movie and not something that's best left in the books for 5-year olds.

[@tomisgood]

A lot of the critique of seen lately of this movie comes from the idea that it's a failed metaphor for climate change. However, I (going into the film blind) didn't view it as a direct metaphor for one specific issue, and watched it as a reflection of what dealing with any problem in our current "political climate" feels like. How any issue, no matter how clear and obvious a threat, can be politicized and subverted. In that I found the film highly effective.

[@dragonbane44]

Exactly. This movie was written before the pandemic and yet it described the politicization of the Covid so well.

[@hellofriend545]

I agree that it works on that level, and that’s why it’s kind of upsetting when people say it’s a metaphor for climate change-it’s way to reductive to say this film is “about” climate change and climate denial. It’s not a specific and pointed critique, it’s a general sci fi movie making fun of America’s dystopian inability to address anything in an appropriate and timely manner.

[@aaRept]

I thought the same. In fact watching this video I thought that while it is very very interesting and insightful, it is going deep into just one possible way of interpreting the message and really doing a disservice to the movie. I thought the movie was a bit too on the nose at some moments, but I really liked it as a message to what we have become when it comes to dealing with important issues, no matter how simple or complex they are. I may be reading too much into it, but I think it even gave ample flaws to the main characters in the story to illustrate that being right and taking the moral high ground on one subject, doesn't make you flawless all across the board.

[@samanthaflorence733]

I also watched this movie blindly yet still don't really like the movie. I mean it's not terrible at all. The actors and actresses are great. It's just that I don't get the style of this movie and how over the top this movie tries to represent "ignorance, stupidity, and greediness". I get the point this movie is trying make but because it's so over the top, it feels too unrealistic. More unrealistic than the premise of the movie: "what if a comet hit the world in 6 months". Again this is all my opinion.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

Kinda ironic, because the history of climate change denial actually shows that this "current political climate" has very little to do with that particular problem. It's just made it more visible. We've known about the problem for decades and those in power have continuously refused to address for all that time out of pure greed. The only reason the discussion around climate change has become so polarized now days is because that's the only way those who believe doing something about it will hamper their financial growth can keep us from taking action now with how much evidence we have and how long we've been checking it. Blatantly denying reality is their only recourse.

[@coolkiddo3110]

Don't look up is definitely an extremely American movie, which is what makes it so good and creates so much of its flaws. It's like a lot of other people in the comments have said though, I think that this movie was less about climate change and more about the American political climate. How everything is so intense and dividing but at the same time and expression of real meaningful change is seen as radical and alarmist. It's so... Isolating. So seeing it end with loved ones come together after separating themselves further and further throughout the movie was so damn emotional, but also felt too naive.

[@rc59191]

Americans hate it because it forces them to look in the mirror and realize we are the source of all our problems. Nobody wants to take responsibility for anything they'd rather divide themselves into factions and blame the other side whether it be climate change, our endless war mongering, destabilizing countries and entire regions of the world, and diseases. Don't Look Up reminds me a lot of The Day The Earth Stood Still even when an alien civilization gave us the choice to change our ways or face extinction in order to save the planet the first thing we do is shoot the guy out of our own fear.

[@RealLifeIronMan]

Yes, America the only country with ignorant people. Yes, I know that is not explicitly what you are saying, but when critics of the ignorance in the world point the blame at the US exclusively and repeatedly, what message does that send? In all seriousness, this is why there is so much division. Americans (particularly right wingers) are mocked and ridiculed constantly; to the point that they have no reason to put their faith in (left wing) scientists because for all they know the whole climate conversation is all just a political talking point to beat them over the head with. If they weren't ridiculed as idiots constantly, maybe they would listen. Additionally, asking the US (or really any WEIRD country) to reduce carbon emissions or any other number of things to reverse climate change, is oddly inefficient. The top carbon emitter is China. If people cared about climate change they would ask China, but they don't. Why?

[@kartikadewi3270]

Wow

[@123890antonioj]

I mean they did all die, I think we can at least reasonably hope that people will come together at their death beds

[@cheerbearsue]

MAGA, covid, and anything else that might happen or has already happened recently. Look at the Don’t Look Up rally, looks just like a Trump rally.

[@ethanbabbage4336]

"Never assign malice where ignorance will suffice."

[@waynechen852]

right, because we are all fundamentally good people. All the politicians in the capitals, all the power wielders in global finance, they are all trying to do the right things, they are just..... incompetent?

[@jesuschristislord77733]

Never assign ignorance where intent to control is observable by your lying eyes.

[@MarvinRoman]

@@waynechen852 actually it’s more because assigning malice points to different solutions that won’t necessarily change things. If it’s just malice then changing people in power is the solution rather than questioning how power works in today’s society. If market logic permeates all decisions, how media covers issues, what politicians actually act on, it begins to permeate the public that actual democratic power held by the demos is off limits. The best we are becomes consumers of brands and political parties and not actually wielding any power. The market rules more and more of life and even politicians and CEO’s are prisoners of the system. Change the CEO of Exxon tomorrow to the head of Greenpeace and watch how much changes when internal incentives and forces remain the same. This isn’t an excuse that those CEO’s or politicians don’t deserve serious consequences, it’s just that what needs changed is structural.

[@dvdragon]

Or general apathy.

[@ethanbabbage4336]

@@waynechen852 No, we all have the innate capacity for good. Do you think there are more incompetent people in the world or more actively evil people? Think carefully. And, yes, if you don't believe politicians are incompetent, there is nothing I can do for you lol

[@obyone878]

The issue is that there was an interview in the UK, recently, that went almost exactly like the interview in this movie. "When did meteorologists become so doom and gloom." Edit: UK heatwave GBnews is what you'll want to type in to get the link. KZbin doesn't let me post links, for whatever reason, nor reply to this page anymore.

[@leonodonoghueburke4276]

Can you put down a link please?

[@sauro8911]

@@leonodonoghueburke4276 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJyZin-urbinjM0

[@lost4468yt]

Link?

[@StoutProper]

KZbin loves censorship

[@oliverrobbins2385]

But the heatwave WAS overhyped. Should we be concerned about the overall climate trend? Absolutely. Was the heatwave a serious health risk if you didn't act like an idiot and sunbathe all day with no water or something? Absolutely not.

[@enotdetcelfer]

This movie perfectly captures how it's felt to have every issue that comes up be met with people strawmanning, caricaturing, laughing amongst themselves and largely disconnecting from each other. We're humans suddenly fighting a flood of information and connection that has paradoxically pushed us farther apart by giving us so much content and so little together time that we can't process things properly anymore. We're naturally breaking off into tribes of monoculture perspectives that then enforce this socially, and seeing people with different eyes and concerns as threats to our power and stability. Virtue and honor has become subjective even in every-day political topics that should involve communities at a moderate level and be discussable and negotiable. This movie captures the sense of panic one can feel when you look out and see no learned thinkers or skilled orators taking on the necessary task of digesting issues in a way that includes different perspectives and attempts to start the dialog of chewing in the social brain; it captures the lead up to idiocracy where things still feel intelligible, but the understructure has started to erode and people are walking on the bridge laughing while you see some small grains of sand or a pebble dislodge itself when walking in the long forgotten catacombs of dialog. When Leo's character screams out to be terrified, it's not talking about climate change or the asteroid specifically, it's that our culture has venerated the wrong things and we're all looking to medicate problems, detach from uncomfortable things, to avoid each other and to not hear, and to watch this devolution over the last 20 years has been scary. It could be any disaster, it's not about that, it's about how we're all children in adult bodies with adult jobs and bank accounts and our skills at facing our problems and fellow humans is that of children on the playground. Even the scholars are so far up their academic disciplines while watching politically charged nonesense strawman peddlers on mainstream TV. They look down on their neighbors and act like it'd be fine if they all died because their beliefs are wrong and evil. How many times in the last 20 years have we heard "I just don't get how..." blah blah blah insert some position the other has taken. Or if they do understand, it's some patronizing or condescending "that's why they're getting defensive or projecting and I can understand it in those terms but they need to be shown the light, maybe I can reach them" instead of trying to inhabit their hierarchy of societal concerns and see how to negotiate a solution that does them justice. This movie is a preview of society that has completely lost the ability to pay attention and to listen, and to listen well. Do we ask questions or do we dictate. We're all so bigbrained philosophers in our own minds while not stepping out to understand and to speak up for and include those that oppose our solutions. And boy are we tied to solutions and the form things take instead of being dynamic, creative, inquisitive creatures whenever ideology makes us uncomfortable. Anyway, sorry for the rant but I couldn't sit down to watch this without first getting this off my chest, and hopefully I can watch your analysis with more openness, I'm just anxious that this is going to be 40min of missing the point about a movie about missing the point and that would be depressing coming from you. This movie is a mythology that captures our current state of affairs. It does it without pointing the finger from one to the other and creates, or rather finds, intermediate characters that split up the strengths and weaknesses of current people in unusual combinations that challenge us to look at the humanity, not the ideological tribe, giving us something approachable to chew on, truly like stories of old. It does the campfire task of coming together and looking at the meta in a personal and instantiated what-if. Ok, anyway, /rant

[@vaydust]

Thank you for this commentary!

[@Sasquatchbones]

Bingo

[@BK2207]

It is a fair assessment.

[@L.K.48]

Poetry

[@ryanjohnston5909]

I appreciate your rant, and although I don’t comment on things often, I did want to say thank you. To me, the movie felt very human.

[@themightyquyn]

Good video, however the fact that they chose a comet was irrelevant. The point was to illustrate to the viewer the social, governmental, and corporate gridlock we experience when evidently staring into the face of our own destruction even though we can do something about it. I agree with the premise a comet isn't the best way to illustrate our own contribution to changing this impending doomsday scenario. It was only chosen, because it's a movie and people seemingly have short attention spans. Climate change wouldn't make for a good worldwide disaster film. The Day After Tomorrow's cataclysm doesn't work too well for "Mckayan" satire.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

This movie? It was not a Mirror at all. And it’s not the only terriblee Clima-Change-Coverage: Chris Chibnal probably did the Worst ever, as pointed out by Many, including Jay Exci. Meanwhile, epic coverage would be various Science-Channel as well as the 2 Social-Commentary-Channel Hbomberguy and Some More News.

[@helloitsjay38]

@@loturzelrestaurant what?

[@Nevouti.x]

He says that lmao wtf are you on?

[@helloitsjay38]

@@Nevouti.x Loturzel restaurant says... that? What does that mean? Am I having a stroke or are you?

[@Nevouti.x]

@@helloitsjay38 no the guy making the video both of you commented on, seems like you are

[@bengurwell1500]

Those last 10 minutes describing how everyone is turning inward and existing in increasingly divergent realities really resonated with me and perfectly describes the zeitgeist.

[@RizztrainingOrder]

Your work is infinitely interesting and much appreciated, you impact more people than you know! Keep up the great work and I pray this message finds you well!

[@bryansantanavegas1910]

Ye, not really, look at that views/likes ratio

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@bryansantanavegas1910 This movie? It was not a Mirror at all. And it’s not the only terriblee Clima-Change-Coverage: Chris Chibnal probably did the Worst ever, as pointed out by Many, including Jay Exci. Meanwhile, epic coverage would be various Science-Channel as well as the 2 Social-Commentary-Channel Hbomberguy and Some More News.

[@karan.kk.h]

I did my report that makes up 15% of my public exam grade on this movie. It just resonates with me so much as a member of the younger generation, sometimes it feels like your fate is in the hands of people who don’t care

[@brian2440]

Does anybody really though? Even activists don’t actually advocate for decarbonization plans….. There are quite literally thousands of published plans on what to do and how to do it, but yet it seems like the entire general publics climate movement is predicated on the belief that only politicians could ever come up with plans. It’s truly a mind boggling thing to see, when historically over the last 120 years every single major environmental treaty ever ratified started as a scientific study with conclusions of what was recommended to change. From the Vienna Convention to London Convention to MARSPOL to Montreal Protocol etc, but for some reason the modern climate movement just forgot this for some reason. So instead they shout a scream why a bunch geriatric geniuses, who likely didn’t even take classical mechanics in college, don’t have a plan. In the US we have marches on congress to make a plan and take action. Yet you never once hear about any group reference or advocate for any of the hundreds of plans made by the US Department of Energy.

[@karan.kk.h]

@@brian2440 I’m not talking about climate change. When I first saw this film, it never resonated with me as something about climate change at first. It is something that resonated with me because of the political situation of my own home country, not America or Europe

[@brian2440]

@@karan.kk.h fair enough but the director of the film point blank said it’s about climate change, but to each their own

[@karan.kk.h]

@@brian2440 film and literature are often up to people’s interpretations and I think general human ignorance and the criticism of self serving leaders are themes of the movie whether it’s about climate change or not. Those themes are what hit me when I first watched it and I did the report on my personal perspective so yeah

[@r.connor9280]

Asides That thing the Big Short does is called an Aside, it's borrowed from theater drama. Where the character directly states something to the audience for dramatic irony

[@courtneydurham8429]

I loved this movie. I don't get why people think it's controversial. It was cathartic in a dark depressing kind of way. I thought the social commentary was spot on and that the people who were pissed off by this film are the people who saw themselves in the characters that were acting badly.

[@jackalopewright5343]

Yes!

[@charlestonianbuilder344]

well if your being perfectly portrayed aka a republican then ofcourse its controversial, you were portrayed not as some good guy but as a fool, i saw most people could'nt even finish the movie though i get it, as it did get boring at times, then they complain of social media without finishing the film

[@KurtAngle89]

While you can think like that, there's actually many people who didn't recognize themselves, and still found faults in the movie. Reality, is, luckily, more complex than your understanding of it

[@ashyslashy3636]

@@charlestonianbuilder344 You're EXACTLY the type of person I thought about when watching the movie. Clearly the president and her followers were meant to portray trump and his followers from the point of view of people like YOU. Calling republicans fools and saying they're "perfectly portrayed". Its hilarious because you're just like them. Blind, ignorant and afraid of opposing views. And anyone that disagrees with you is horrible in your mind. You, are the fool. Its "controversial" because it makes fun of trump, if ANY movie made fun of biden it would be canceled because people would lose their shit. So much hypocrisy. As someone who enjoyed the movie and has a very open minded political mindset, I gotta say the way they portrayed republicans is the SAME way I see both right wing extremists and left wing extremists. You're both bad and you're both annoying. Just itching to throw a jab at the opposing party. Dude, live your life, stop being full of hatred and letting these republicans live in ur head rent free.

[@surprisedchar2458]

Because it feels like Hollywood grabbing you and shaking you, going “GET IT!?! DIVISION BAD! NOW PRAISE US FOR BEING SMART!!!!” Hollywood long ago lost the favor of quite a lot of people. Being heavy handed and borderline propagandistic is not a good way to win them back.

[@ObviousCleft]

You remain my absolute favourite creator on this platform. And you’ve made me cry on the train home. It’s so nice that you’re putting a bit more of yourself into these, too. I feel like I’m getting to know a friend I always would’ve liked to meet personally.

[@MrCabbidge]

Fantastic video. I agree that Don't Look Up was most interesting when it talked about how the world we've created makes it so hard to talk to each other, rather than the apocalypse beats it tells.

[@michaelbond4807]

I appreciate the brilliance of your analysis in this video! Your educational background and capacity for detailed, critical analysis gives your listeners a fully realized portrayal of the complex issues involved in mobilizing a critical mass of people around the climate crisis as opposed to a comet heading for earth. i am thankful that you present these arguments on KZbin where your audience is so much wider than that in a classroom at university or to a conference of academics. Please keep on keeping on!

[@petertromp8786]

Those who have been the most vocally outraged by the movie - the corporate media elite, predominantly - were clearly upset about being so mercilessly caricatured, but then their reactions have been so disproportionately over the top that they in effect ended up self-caricaturing, thereby proving the movie's point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in love with the film: I think it's great in some respects, and significantly lacking in others. What cannot be denied is the way it has so publicly ruffled the feathers of those it specifically targets, which makes it an undoubted success. It's not a normal movie for normal times, and it did it's job damn well in that respect, even if by normal movie standards it's a mixed bag. What it has done unbelievably well is bait those it critiques for living in insular corrupt bubbles to expose themselves for living in insular corrupt bubbles

[@dazey8706]

my thoughts exactly

[@bgoodfella7413]

Every American lives in "insular corrupt bubbles". It's called your head.

[@KumoTheCatto]

I really like your closing thoughts about us people only wanting to build our own paradise. I think that one of the greatest problems of our society is the ever growing divide between us. Which is pretty ironic if you think about how connected we all are these days. And I really think that one of the reasons for that is how superficial our world has become. So it's truely important to actually talk, and think about a topic and actually go deep in my opinion. This is also a reason why I love your detailed movie analyses! So I hope you can keep making them for a long time :)

[@Player-re9mo]

I liked the 2016 Godzilla movie more. We see how bureaucracy, lack of communication and outdated strategies prevent the government of Japan from fighting Godzilla. It's only when the young people come up with new ideas, that they manage to defeat the monster. I liked the movie more because the problems they had seemed like problems we have as well and the characters felt real, despite being in a Godzilla movie. But in "Don't look up" felt cartoonish in comparison. The characters were exaggeratedly dumbed down to the point I no longer felt bad for them being hit by the comet.

[@KingSNAFU]

Watching Don't Look Up tonight and I feel the exact same way.

[@lewisguapo]

The real question is: Why did the general charge for the snacks?

[@Pineapplesf]

The reason it's about America is because it's a response to America pulling out of the Paris accords. As Latour says, a response not to the left and right but the "out of this world." It's not about the world's response, but those who ran away from the problem -- the best embodied by the US. It was meant to acknowledge and show the elephant in the room... that some countries are bigger players than others and each of these must work together (including the US) if we want to succeed. I think more a UN or EU focused would muddy the waters of these points. It has been awhile since I saw a film lean so far into an exclusive American audience -- using a lot of American cultural narratives and slang.

[@thirtythree504]

America was the only country doing anything about the climate. Thats why we pulled out

[@fingernecklace4817]

@@thirtythree504 do... do you really believe this?

[@OtherDAS]

@@fingernecklace4817 The numbers clearly show the US did more to reduce carbon emissions than others. Are you unaware of this? the only thing staying in would have done is cost the US a lot of money.

[@BhbtheRock]

The problem with waiting for the "we saw it with our own eyes" moment is kinda ubiquitous in media. I've been reading Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy, and in that the moment is half of the Antarctic ice shelf falling into the sea.

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

I took it as not necessarily a metaphor for climate change, but science denialism in general. Made me think of covid more than climate change, but that's probably just recency bias because my anti-vax sister was here. I saw in other comments that the script was written before the pandemic. But naturally, the point of metaphor is that the specific "thing" doesn't really matter, it's more about the effects and causes and behaviors around it. As always you got right to the heart of the matter in a way that I wish everyone could hear.

[@badaboum2]

But the specific thing does matter, science is about specific things. Otherwise it's just a general sense of appeal to authority.

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

@breyzh2jahkady Science is about specific things. Narrative allegory isn't. That's why they used a comet instead of just making a movie about climate change. There's no appeal to authority when the experts themselves are showing the evidence and showing their work, and people still refuse to listen. That's what happens in the movie, and IRL with climate change. If anyone cries "appeal to authority," it's purely out of ignorance, and they were never going to listen anyway.

[@badaboum2]

@@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145 Right, but the allegory sort of falls flat when your movie is ABOUT science and complex policies that affect millions of lives. Dumbing issues down this much makes it fail at representing them, imo.

[@patnor7354]

Lol. Your sister was the smart one, but you probably know that by now. Science? Science was corrupted by politics and an agenda, as you should have recognized by silencing of real scientists and the heavy-handed measures to force jabs.

[@frederikhauff9129]

The uncomfortable truth is that we routinely get hit by meteors, and i actually found the movie to be a very on point critique of todays society. Its like the documentary step before the events of the movie "Idiocracy". In other words, how serious the planet would take an extenction level threat makes this the second installment of an unofficial trilogy: Deep Impact, Dont look up and Idiocracy.

[@sbraypaynt]

Idiocracy is a mediocre film and extremely misanthropic. The picture it paints of a future has themes supporting euthanasia of stupid people or we’re all screwed. It’s the fan-fiction of a 13 year old girl with a Hermione complex.

[@edoardoruini199]

@@sbraypaynt You're right, but the movie knows, its exaggerated for the sake of humour, it doesn't want to be the groundbreaking eyeopener that Don't Look Up aspires to be. Not all movies are made to change the world. I don't even think Idiocracy is THAT fun but it is at times exactly because it doesn't take its premise seriously at all.

[@donnmckee4973]

@@edoardoruini199 bwahahaha Dont Look Up is not aspiring to be a "groundbreaking eye opener". What a silly thought. It knows its exaggerating and plays on it. It's about how people react to scientist saying "we have something coming and need to act". Some panic but most ignore it or actively campaign against the idea. If you truly came away thinking this movie was trying to be groundbreaking then I'm sorry for your diminishing intellect. Theres nothing groundbreaking or eye opening about people ignoring science. They just made it satire and a meteor instead of the current problems we have. You are the first person I've heard say it was aspiring to be groundbreaking and eye opening. Wow

[@FritzEschkobar]

I thought about Idiocracy too watchin DLU

[@vikitheviki]

Idiocracy is one of the most underrated movie ever..

[@land_and_air1250]

I think the comet is narrative omen symbolizing the “end times”. By the time the comet was scene by the naked eye, the world was over. The heroes lost and had already admitted defeat. By the time it becomes apparent to everyone in nakedly plain terms the tragedy is too late to avoid. The last part of the movie is just the antagonist winning and the hero’s trying their best to live out their remaining days.

[@TheCrimsonPope]

When you proposed a slightly improved scenario... that hit so close to home. Wish they had made this film like this. Initially I didn't even get that the movie was about climate change!

[@valipunctro]

I think the comet metaphor is more accurate that we give it credit.the point is that when its close enough to be seen in the sky its way late to do anything about it,as with climate change,when we will personally see it's consequences its way to late to do anything. I do grant that orbital mechanics is child's play compared to climate models.

[@Dina8485]

I think he makes the point that we may not see climate changes’ effects drastically in the US and other first world countries, but other third world countries and impoverished communities are already feeling the drastic changes.

[@lebleu8843]

@@Dina8485 The earth has gone through worse, mankind has gone through worse. This will break nations but its not the end of the world.

[@galactic85]

@@Dina8485 exactly. The effects are already being seen but not equally. Hell they are already even becoming more common in the United States. The pacific northwest just had a major heat wave over the summer that was unprecedented in my lifetime.

[@mikearchangel7998]

I am so glad you brought up the big short because I appreciated so many of the decisions the movie took to portraying it's premise. Don't look up I feel in my mind came up short in ways that I think are minute because I think like stated it served its purpose in brining up the topic to strat up conversation. A bit of of an anecdotal story: I remember sitting in a biology class sometime before 2017 when we were talking about virology. we had a conversation about a world wide pandemic and my teacher literally stated in most possible scenarios world governments operate too slowly and retard the process of a quick response to an actual pandemic not to mention how many people would actually agree to a proper response to one. And what happened about 3 years later? Well. I certainly think these things are worth taking about nuances, sincerity and empathy I feel are all important. All of which you eloquently pointed out. 10/10 video

[@dilffred5464]

Bro, Great editing and analysis.(1) loved the exposition on McKays cinematic language (2) banality of evil is such a rich message to get across, its compelling, I want more movies to showcase it (3) loved the part where you said something like, "I couldn't get Margot Robbie in a bubble bath to explain this. So here is me at my desk."

[@dormin100]

It'd be nice to have this video translated so i could send it to my friends and family. I loved it! Great writing, informative and mature.

[@pauletteemerson1052]

Everything you describe in the last bit of this video has been what I and I'm sure many others have been feeling for some time. I can't help but wonder, what have we become. I was glued to every word and I was mesmerized by your descriptions of it all.

[@tywalz]

My goodness brother. You outdid yourself once again with this video. I was going saddened to see you were going to make a video about Don’t Look Up, but here I am. Completely blown away by your insights and comparisons. I could feel your passion from your real world studies engrained throughout the video. I think you referencing The Big Short breaking the 4th wall, but then breaking the 4th wall in your own video is something special too. Even if your not Margot Robbie in a bubble bath. Thank you once again for your content.

[@FishSlapsaBaby]

My biggest problem with this movie is that it critiques the sedation of the public through media and Hollywood. Yet the movie itself is bloated with A-List celebrities who probably made more from this than most people will see in their lifetimes. Any sense of irony from Adam Mckay is misplaced.

[@xingincool9672]

Are you sure is not your political ideology getting in your way of thinking? I mean now they can't express themselves bcs they are rich and part of the film industry? What happen about, freedom of speech? Yes they can talk and if we belive its stupid and pointless we point it out and we collectively decided is a flawed argument. You're simply throwing a theory based on political ideology and forgetting that everyone is allowed a voice, that's the similar thinking the SWJ have over republican speakers, you're that so now you're not really worthy of my time........ your thought is a pile of hypocrisy, waiting to explode on your face the moment you decide to open your eyes, or give a minute to philosophically question your form of thinking.

[@timon20061995]

@@xingincool9672 Leonardo DiCaprio took a private jet to accept the environmental award. It's not about freedom of speech or policial but being a hypocrite.

[@xingincool9672]

@@timon20061995 Is Leo a hypocrite? Yes, he has a private plane, but that's one case of ignorance, for some reason, the human species held this people so high in standars that they can't make a mistake "Not on my watch" you can make some, but not on my watch. I understand your argument, but you're clearly bias and ignoring the fact that there are multiple people who do care and by dismissing "The Hollywood" (which are a few) you get to cry over why you're so right and they're wrong. But you're not right, you're delusional ego keeps you from seeing the truth, like an agenda.

[@xingincool9672]

@Jake That was the fucking point!!!!!!! The excess in America has gone to the heads of people, your value depends on what you own, not in who you are, for christ sake she's making fun of people's stupidity from her bathtub, but you won't get the point, because is hate them first instead of acknowledging the fact that our society has clearly drawn the lines of wealth and self worth.

[@xingincool9672]

@Jake and how is she an oligarch when she doesn't even own a single company lol, oligarchs are people who own multiple assets and pay governments, for example Elon Musk Jeff bezzos Bill gates Mark Cuban

[@maxstjerna1809]

I think you disregard the fact that relieving third world countries of poverty might just be the most effective way of reducing their carbon footprint. There seem to be many preconceived solutions pushed by a green wave with very little to back such policies (the anti nuclear wave none the least). An anticapitalist anti growth development is included in it too with evidence pointing in the opposite direction. The problems and effects of policies are also hoplessly hard to evaualte too as because of the complexity pointed out. I also think that the point about the often pointless effect local policy on a global problem cant be empisized enough. It can and should most certainly protect the local environemnt but the general CO2-e emissons is to a large extent pointless policy on the grander scale for smaller countries like my own (sweden).

[@wanderingthewastes6159]

THIS.

[@JorgeGomez-kt3oq]

Precisely the problem, every attempt to do meaningful infraestructure or mining projects in my country are painted by a political sector as a climate threat so nothing to better the material live of people can be done. Buildings roads-climate change. Build Hospital-clinate change. Mining proyect approved and reviewed by international independent scoentist-climate change

[@ArisenMind]

This lends towards the conservatives of certain countries calling bullshit on climate change, even if they may be incorrect, because many sort of progress can be wrapped in the shroud of climate change bureaucratic papertape. Its complex, this issue.

[@paintingtracey]

Your voice is so soothing! This made me cry. There is a heart breaking futility to hoping for a better outcome. But the alternative is equally heartbreaking.

[@muhammadabdullahhanif8860]

This video is another maaterpiece from you. I agree with you that our past world that have everything is ending. I already have anxiety abouth the world is ending, but thankfully this video give insight that that our "naive" worldview that is ending and not the world itself. Thank you for making this video.

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

That's a good summary of it!

[@voidnimbus]

The worst quality of this movie is the way it frames science: as something inherently beyond what "normal" people can access. Science is not this very weird and specific thing that only a few people understand. A simple and poor guy working as a mechanic has as much contact with science as a NASA engineer - sometimes even more. Science is just a very good way to understand the world and how things interact. Anyone can get in touch with it. The real problems start when you start blending science with specific ideologies. The movie strongly engages with the superficial narratives that it claims to criticize and does absolutely nothing to actually challenge the shallowness it's allegedly annoyed by. If anything, the movie reenforces all that stupidity.

[@jpacker7977]

"Insufferably smug" is about as apt a description as you will find.

[@emily7195]

Leo deserves an Oscar for playing someone so ordinary

[@street_struggle7]

One of the most interesting themes through the movie is the usefulness vs harm of technology. How much do we respect our humanity? The last scene around the dinner table with no phones or TVs, just people gathered together for the sake of being with each other and enjoy the companionship of each other, is great. Following the path of technology leads you to be naked (completely vulnerable) with strangers who don't care about you on a planet that doesn't want you. You'll be alive, but it will be a life without love or warmth. The movie is saying those last few moment at the dinner table is better than being an empty lonely husk of a human without a home, without any connection. This theme plays out all the time in our lives right now.

[@rivers4268]

Damn, this is a really good take

[@thisisone9529]

It's an interesting take, considering the technology required to produce the movie. Is the director claiming to be part of the problem? Not at all. Technology is what we make of it and, unfortunately or fortunately, humans interact with technology in very different ways. Some seek to help humanity and the effects are easily observable. Some think they're helping humanity, but the results are counter to those intentions and that's observable, as well.

[@inflorire]

I’d go a step further and say it’s about consumption broadly. Technology gave them the opportunity to see the threat early on, but they lacked the wisdom to use technology properly to address the issue. The profit motive leads to the government abandoning a solid plan for all humankind in an attempt to mine the meteor for resources. What matters most in the end is people, not money.

[@thisisone9529]

@@inflorire"what matters most in the end is people, not money." True and that is why the people behind this movie are all about controlling the people. That's what their kind of ideology always becomes, even if they never intended to.

[@inflorire]

@@thisisone9529 touch some grass, dude

[@yakamen]

Look, the movie went out of its way to have Chalamet's character literally come to Faith, while enthralled in end-of-days romance with a scientist. And he wasn't chastised for it as being willfully ignorant, just embraced as a possible answer to the human condition. I thought that was wonderful. And we can't forget that DiCaprio IS in fact, the DILF. I want to thank the movie for that.

[@wiz3404]

the most unrealistic thing I found about the movie is people changing their beliefs when they see the comet. I doubt that would happen in real life, most people who denied it will keep on denying it, it's not about factual evidence for those people.

[@Memoiana]

The movie was pretty dumb. Don’t overintellectualize it.

[@noconsent]

I would say Don't Look Up was made to be hated by current society. It isn't made for us. It's made about us. Its a period piece, shot during the period. The real audience for Don't Look Up is those that are going to be experience the meteor strike, not those that are watching the meteor. When there isn't going to be mass amounts of money being poured into film making. Someone in the future will be able to watch this movie and experience what it was like to watch a problem arrive, without doing anything to prevent it, while they live in the results of doing nothing.

[@richlisola1]

I found this movie deeply saddening, but really good too-I didn’t see climate change at all. I just saw a more realistic and closer to home version of Idiocracy. And it stuck me like a blade. Hit way close to home, because we aren’t far off from that world, those people. They are us. And the only beauty I saw was at the end, when the our core characters came together to face the end together, as one.

[@ashtonpalmer5035]

On the mentioned problem of flooding, a large portion of The Netherlands is below sea level, coastal bariers exist, are fast and effective and far less costly or uncertian in its exact impacts than emmisions lowering.

[@Aw-ev1mv]

The movie certainly was far from perfect, but I'll admit, it made me actually cry because it hit so close to home to my fears and dread about the future and everyone's reaction to all our problems, so I can't help but love it and feel like it's a very impactful film.

[@frogmorely]

I like the very relevant comparison with the Big Short: I agree the strength of its social critique inheres in its treatment of many of the characters sympathetically. Don’t Look Up fails here by making everyone unlikeable-either greedily asinine or cloyingly sentimental and uncomprehending. The charge that criticism of DLU equates with failure to appreciate the gravity of the message of systematic failure is itself a failure to cope with criticism. The fatalistic thanksgiving dinner hand-holding finale was nauseating.

[@ThePhiphler]

A major PR problem with climate change is the amount of politics that it's proponents inject into it. Major names like Rockström state openly that objectives like equal economic outcomes are extremely important to them, and part of their proposed solutions to climate change. Hard left political ideas are inseparable from climate change, even though there is no instrinsic link between observing climate and wanting governments to have power at the expense of the individual. Real workable solutions that do not require governments to severely limit individual liberties (nuclear power, IR dimming in L1 sol-earth etc) seem understated not because they do not work, but because they conflict with the favoured policies of climate change proponents.

[@aturchomicz821]

Found the lib, you are no better than a conservative

[@ThePhiphler]

@@aturchomicz821 A very confusing answer, you seem to simultaneously accuse me of being left and right of your own political position. I should probably not mention the fact that you went straight for the ad hominem as well.

[@DrinkTheKoolAid62]

I find it a bit convenient to say that it's not the immorality of the individuals that is to blame for the financial crisis (et al) but the "system." Yes, the system that consists of, was created for and is run by, morally bankrupt individuals. But the system itself is moot and would not even exist if not for the decisions and deliberate actions of these individuals. None of them deserve an "out" of any kind.

[@mjunhzbgt1]

Good point, agree!

[@prabhatdreamz]

Precisely. People hide behind the excuse "no easy answers" or "you would've done the same", or "it's the system". I find these utterly ridiculous, and also demeaning to the victims and exculpatory for the perpetrators.

[@keeparguing611]

@@prabhatdreamz if its the fault of the "system" and not the people, then i say its the fault of everyone BUT the victims as atleast we can be damn sure it aint the victims

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

This guy is basically saying "look at both sides when you are being killed, it's everybody's fault"

[@skurge8691]

The irony of any of these Hollywood actors making films about society is palpable

[@ElAntroDeDager]

Finally, I was starting to feel too alone on my critique of this movie.

[@illbeyourstumbleine]

Back in the 80s my great uncle had an awesome bunker that he spent his life savings on. Sadly when he passed away his wife who was much younger than him sold it against his wishes, he wanted it to remain in our family. I find myself wanting to take a trip there to see if it’s still in good shape and it the new owners want to sell it to us. It’s literally in the side of a mountain and super cool.

[@JediJuniper92]

The movie’s message was super clear to me - willful ignorance - but it upset me SO much that I didn’t care to really talk about it for awhile. It stressed me out so much because when it came out I was still having to attend college online because of covid and the film just hit me in a very “we’re super smart celebrities so you should listen to us” way. The movie felt arrogant in such an astounding way to me that I legit felt so enraged that I angry-cried during most of the third act. I get that it meant the movie did was it was supposed to do to a degree, but it felt like some filmmaker was preaching to me about a thing I was already acutely aware of and was trapped in without any way to stop it anyway (covid, climate change, this country’s financial situation, etc etc etc) so the timing of it all somehow felt really insulting. Again, I know others had a different experience and the movie is meant to cause varied reactions, and I’m glad for films that do so. I just had an awful time watching it because it felt like preaching to the choir.

[@123890antonioj]

The reason for your anger is likely about a point addressed early on in this video; the movie's distinct lack of human empathy, and so many characters that are simple, dumb caricatures that act only out of self interest. Such personalities do exist in real life, but more often than not, there are societal structures and cultural tendencies that actually induce varying degrees of willful ignorance in people. From what I've heard, this movie fails to emphasize that part - the underlying cause - and resorts to fingerpointing at the symptoms - 'dumb' and 'greedy' people - like so many other, similar movies, while never even once hoping that there is a way out of this mess. Would Thanos' victory in infinity war have been as impactful if it ended with him verbally mocking the avengers? To ask viewers to simply laugh at the defeat of a broken world, in arrogance and smug moral superiority, while neither looking at the fundamental causes nor any possible alternatives - it is no wonder that it left such a shitty aftertaste for you. It's even more unfortunate since, according to this video, the director of this film made other movies that were much better at social commentary, and actually tacking specific events that viewers can recognise.

[@JediJuniper92]

@@123890antonioj I definitely recognized your first paragraph while watching the film but your second paragraph brought up an idea that I hadn’t considered and makes PERFECT sense!! Thank you for sharing!

[@thomaswalsh4552]

I think you missed one big point of the movie: for most people climate change isn’t obvious in day to day life right now, but it will be one day soon, and at that point it will be too late. Nobody could see the comet at first and nobody cared, but once it was visible and realized as a threat, it was already too late.

[@IXSigmaXI]

I watched this video before watching the film. When watching the movie I thought it didn't represent anything. its just saying that even such a blatant and straightforward crisis like a comet on collision course with earth would be mishandled by our leadership. its completely accurate. I love the gag with the general charging them for free snacks

[@cmfrtblynmb02]

You are one of the few channels that the video essay format is not just about the style but the content.

[@alexgnial1]

I always like your reviews a lot, but had to force myself through most of this one. Good to know you are a student of climate change. That said, it seems that attachment to the subject hindered your critique in the artistic angle. It's a satire, a caricature. It implies exaggeration and oversimplification. 22:10 "capture the appropriate nuance". No It doesn't. Because doesn't go for that in the first place.

[@heavymetal3122]

There's nothing exaggerated about this movie. People are that dumb. People are that greedy.

[@UnleashthePhury]

“I’m right and you’re stupid for not believing me.” Not how you deliver that message.

[@guynonsense4157]

The first mistake when you review a movie is trying to compare with other movies. That's how I learn from my past. Each movie has its own feature. If you don't like it, just try to point out what you don't like. The pov through other movie can affect your judgment.

[@cakecrumb095]

Thinking about the pandemic and how a lot of people are wondering when it will be over and we can go back to normal, I just feel like we forgot the reality of our life. Since the beginning of human life we’ve struggled to survive, and that’s never going to change just because surviving gets easier. The end of this analysis really got me. We really don’t realize how fragile we are as a society.

[@AdinaIspas]

No we haven’t always struggled, it’s a “fallen” situation. Like come on, this story is everywhere in our myths. And people are scared by those who know that things don’t have to be this way.

[@acuencadev]

I saved this video in my watchlist when it came out. I should have seen this before. Man, your work is beautiful as always.

[@user-nz6xd5cu4n]

The best review channels on KZbin. Years ago I remember one evening just smiling while watching.

[@lakotagrywlf]

The thing is, it’s not a movie about climate change. Yes the comet is a metaphor for the ultimate climate crisis but the villain of the movie isn’t the comet. The villain is the flaws of human perceptions and biases. The comet starts out as something that no one but the specialized experts could see, then it slowly gets closer, unseen by the rest of us, until slowly it become more visible, but still dismissible against the starry backdrop of the sky. Like how in our real world the march of the climate catastrophe has been slow, at first only affecting the most remote and marginalized populations on the planet. Over time the comet gets closer and brighter, just as a few more people trickle in seeing the effects of an aberrantly changing environment become less and less subtle and isolated. But we reach a point, because of our egos, identities, and politics, where no more people will fall off the bandwagon of denialism, no matter how close and obvious the comet gets. The population playing a game of chicken with itself because of a failure to understand and cooperate with each other.

[@Charles-472]

I always felt that this movie worked better as an allegory for the Covid-19 Pandemic

[@paulolucero9864]

When you take it from a perspective of "any major problem" instead of just climate change it starts to get more sense (the part when they discuss percentages comes to mind when people deal with the current pandemic as any percentage/data/number you throw is "not enough" for any kind of action to be taken if you ask some people). But I still wholeheartedly agree that it was at times so insuferably smug it made it so hard to watch it makes the movie just bad. Nice concept but somewhat horrid execution.

[@julil3021]

The biggest problem with the big short is they don’t look in to banks legally not being allowed to not approve mortgages for lower class people

[@terencebelprez8158]

was looking for this video that I vaguely remember seeing. Your analysis is very refreshing and thought provoking. It feels that the political environment today is so toxic that it maligns the issues at hand today

[@joshuafischer684]

The major turn-off for me was the fact that its clear the filmmakers share the same contempt for their ideological enemies that they're trying to satirize.

[@superhans85]

totally agree

[@tridra5714]

What an incredible thing you said. It truly made me think about things that I have not thought as much about as I felt I had. Not exactly the eminent doom and gloom but how difficult it is nowadays because of how we have limited ourselves and chased luxury instead of global prosperity

[@Luke_Stoltenberg]

I didn't realise it was allegory to climate change until after I saw the movie and started rooting around for info about it. There are so many situations in modern society it could graft onto, just take your pick. I thought it was brilliant.

[@esztercsaki1]

I love your channel and really enjoy your insights, but I do think you overestimate the subtleness of the American people, my friend . I have a liberal arts degree but currently work In healthcare, and literally every one of my co-workers were legitimately proud of themselves for just getting the climate change metaphor . Although I love your proposal for how the movie could have been made , I think if it were more subtle or complex, it would have flown over peoples heads . Yes, art is art for its own sake , it I think one of the fundamental problems my generation has it our inability to get a clear message to working people who are not experts on literary and cinematic metaphor . And we forget that these are the people that matter , because they’re the ones that get stuff done . Woodie Guthrie and John Steinbeck never had that problem. Look what they accomplished

[@sk8rddy957]

I was going to say something similar. The media literacy of the people that really need to understand this movie isn’t very high.

[@gijsvandergiessen1150]

I loved Don’t Look Up. In my opinion society is exactly as shown in the movie except a bit more subtle about the rampant glibness.

[@joshuapatrick682]

What the fuck is environmental sociology? A degree so valuable that someone who spent 5-7 years to obtain it doesn't even practice....

[@lightandtheweight]

Well done! I didn’t know KZbin had the intellectual capacity to host this video, so this is truly refreshing.

[@asherwilkins465]

Dude, that The Big Short segment was so good. I forgot what I was originally watching

[@antonzherzdev6373]

First, I really enjoyed the way you present. It's so rare that people on that side of the spectrum feel, well, human. I wasn't immediately appalled by your speech as it often happens with other statements on a similar subject. Second, as a hater of wrong metaphors I find your analysis of the flaws of "Don't look up" very much to the point. I enjoyed the movie as a set of pretty naked parodies on different phenomena of today's public life, but it does indeed draw too simplistic of a picture. Now, as for your spirited finale, I'm not convinced. It's alright to draw attention to common misconceptions corrupting the world view of an average person, but here's a caveat. You (collective) are not the first in human history to shout "we are doing it all wrong, we all need to change", but has it ever led to anything good, when such shouters had gone in possession of actual power (whether material or ideological)? And if you are talking about a bottom-up change, then I would ask, how exactly you want people to change. I'm not sure at all, people in general are as selfish and obsessed with money as you depict them, and that people were "better" before this age of progress, as you seem to imply. Most people care not only for themselves, but also their relatives and friends. You want them to care for the whole nation, the whole world? Well, how exactly should such care be expressed? You are probably right pointing at the diversity of economic and societal conditions around the world as a major obstacle to reaching consensus and taking collective action. But we must again ask ourselves, can equality be achieved? Will such a utopian state be sustainable? We are still very far from being able to change human nature, let alone predict all the consequences of such a change if it were made possible. I'm convinced that the answer is always about finding a way, not blaming the conditions. Regardless of disagreements, thank you for your work!

[@pepperpattynaise]

Very interesting response, thank you for sharing!

[@shaunjimbangan1166]

Even as criticism of the way people discuss things now, I find that a lot of the problems with the ways it presents climate change also apply to this message.

[@wodan74]

You could say that AI is hyperobject too. It's so complicated and it's getting so fast now that we cannot grasp it neferious effects at the moment.

[@mav3818]

This movie is an exact reflection of what's going on in real life with the existential threat to humanity due to the current global arm's race towards Artificial Intelligence

[@coboarders]

I like McCay's movies a lot, and the way he sometimes mocks the audience's ignorance while moving a narrative forward. A version of meta that is the opposite of Deadpool for instance. I thought that this movie was great satire, but was far too long. Satire, like a good joke, is at it's best when witty, surprising, and does not have to explain itself. The movie's run time damaged it's ability to tell the joke (a satirical one here) effectively. Cut off 45 minutes and this is an all time classic.

[@dylanjordan4747]

not sure about all time classic but I definitely agree that it would have been a better film had it been capped at the 2 hour mark

[@coboarders]

@@dylanjordan4747 I meant in the vein of Dr. Strangelove and Life of Brian, etc. This could have made it there if not so self absorbed, which I do recognize may have been part of the intended (bad) joke.

[@daylinlott5723]

I am drawn in totally. This guy is gifted, and unique.

[@eytschayim26]

Hello! I loved this movie. I loved how polarizing it was. The same reason why some people hated it was the same reason why I loved it, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence losing their sh*t in frustration. It externalized the way I wanted to act because the entire world is delusional and acting upon what they want to be true but I can’t act that way in real life. Others just thought it was too hysterical and shrill, exactly what satisfied me the most as a vicarious cinematic experience.

[@TheEdward39]

It’s astounding how many people didn’t get this movie. It’s not a metaphor for climate change, it’s a parody of how WE react. It’s us, the problem has always been us.

[@leonardopuehler4899]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie First Reformed (2017). It also talks about climate change, but focusing on individual responsibilities and guilty towards the destruction of nature.

[@andrewahonen6721]

The reviewer seems to be substantially faulting the film for not conforming to his own understanding (ideology?) of climate change, as learned in a masters program of sociology and climate change. There are, of course, accepted (although controversial) theories of runaway or abrupt climate change, of passing certain tipping points in the ecosystem that will lead to self-reinforcing feedback loops that in turn trigger further feedback loops (with global famines, wars and a sudden collapse of our global economic system a consequence) as the biosphere that coats the planet hurtles towards a hothouse and total extinction. These tipping points are or were once well known. The destruction of the Amazon such that it turns from a carbon sink to a carbon emitter. Or a blue ocean event in the Arctic such that there is no ice left to reflect sunlight (or keep the ocean temperature cool) leading to further rapid heating and a new release of additional greenhouse gases from melting permafrost, etc. If you look up, these events are already happening. In any event, it is interesting to see how many actual climate scientists have embraced the film whole heartedly, one commenting that he finally "felt seen".

[@fangirlfortheages5940]

With all the movie’s flaws, I was profoundly moved by it. I watched it on New Year’s Eve in Rome when it was foggy. When the movie ended I burst into tears, because I know as a college student, that this is our future. The future will never be as good as we have it now. If I have children, they will be worse off than me. And thinking of that as fireworks pierced the fog and popped in the distance from a balcony in Rome, I knew it was the end of the world in real life too.

[@edselsantoni6138]

The key difference is: vice and short box were reflections of events which happened in the past. Don’t Look Up serves more as a warning geared towards the public. Individuals don’t have to and will not understand the full complex nuanced issue of climate change, at the end of the day, the only thing they need to understand is that there is a threat that can potentially do a lot of damage that can be avoided if we just take it more seriously. The movie simplifies it down to a single observable threat in order to concern and alarm the average member of the population.

[@yaboirogers6342]

I like the video so much, I'm going to watch the entire ad read.

[@TsugMt]

I loved the movie but as you said I think it wasn't perfect, it portrayed imo a heavier criticism on American culture, rather than a worldwide criticism, at the end, most countries took a step back and the movie never showed how any other culture would react in an apocalypse situation like that, I think it was a good criticism towards American society but I don-t think that-s how the entire world would react, neither to an apocalyptic situation nor to something like climate change.

[@RyanSiggaard]

Most people's views are one sided. I like to challenge my own views by looking for people who disagree and agree and listening to both sides. I take pleasure in knowing the unknown and deciding for myself what I want for the future.

[@strb3305]

Sadly, all the credible scientists are on the other side of the debate

[@driftingdruid]

what i'm hearing, from his description, is that climate change is better thought of as a Lovecraftian phenomenon that we cannot yet fully comprehend or perceive in its entirety, but that we have enabled and empowered unwittingly is my perception accurate?

[@jgamer2228]

Leonardo DiCaprio is the last person with the right to lecture about climate change. His carbon footprint is massive in comparison to the average american

[@rongreen8962]

If he’s using his high profile to educate in the right direction, I don’t see that as “lecturing.” It’s much more about 300 million Americans than about 1.

[@dannygjk]

What happened in this movie, (Don't Look Up not the other shit you showed), is exactly what would happen in a similar case. When Kahoutek came into the inner solar system in the early 70s I followed it and when I would get out of school in late afternoon in broad daylight I could see it easily with the naked eye. Yet if you go online and search you will find many people who think it was a fake phenomenom. So yeah if something comes along like in this movie many people will think it is fake and the same shit that happened in this movie will happen.

[@LeeHarris]

So glad I read some comments before watching 40 mins of what I suspect is ill-founded criticism. The film was entertaining and did a pretty good job of expressing the exasperation and incredulity people with some intelligence feel when seeing how so many other people believe all sorts of bullshit.

[@Coffee_Is_Magic]

SO HAPPY TO HAVE STUMBLED ACROSS YOUR VIDEOS!! ❤

[@tomlxyz]

In my opinion the movie fails if it's anything about ignorance. Any time a problem is normally dismissed due to ignorance it can be rationalized in some way, like blaming other people, by saying "it's not my problem", "it won't be that bad", etc. In the face of an imminent, deadly threat humans tend to have the opposite reaction. Then people tend to overreact, even if there is no solid proof. Which is why this makes no sense to me. They took exactly one scenario where people wouldn't just dismiss it. Just think about how fast any threatening topic gets into newspapers, etc.

[@esleodi]

I came in for a film essay but going out with something more substantial. Thank you, man. God bless!

[@Gabriel87100]

Most people will like it, just need a short glance at the comments of this video. As someone who has always wanted a movie to perfectly capture the threat of asteroids, the closest ones so far were Deep Impact (1998) (until the americanized ending) and These Final Hours (2013). The Road (2009) could be also be interpreted as the "Winter" coming after the "Summer" in an impact event. Armageddon and Greenland are really disappointing in this regard, the threat is not really taken as seriously as it actually is in real life. Don't Look Up could have easily be a serious movie about the matter while still depicting the willfully ignorance that has been ravaging today's society as a depressing fact in a hopeless scenario, rather than make everything be a cringy comedy. The first three movies I mentioned could easily be watched in sequence, having a little "make believe" from the part of the viewer to match the scenarios as a single one, chronologically, and it would give a glimpse of the moment that will one day come, whether we will be ready or not.

[@FaethorFerenzcy]

The movies message, in my opinion was not directly about climate change. It was about (willful-) ignorance. About not aknowledging that there is a problem, so it hopefully just vanishes. I couldn't watch the movie in the first go. I honestly got somewhat angry, cause besides the protagonists, nearly every other person in the movies no one wanted to act according to (my) logic. Then there is the whole subplot of "harvesting" the whole thing cause there is possible profit to be made. All the priorities are when explained understandable but at the same time so against (again: my) logic. As if feelings are facts now.

[@Jeabinoux]

Commenting just to say that I had to pause the video at the begining because I got interested in "the big short" movie and holy fuck it's a good watch.