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Early reviews call ‘Don’t Look Up’ an Oscar contender and the funniest film of the year
"'Don’t Look Up' is a brilliant political satire and Adam McKay at his best. Easily the funniest film I’ve seen all year."
We’re still 11 days away from the star-studded satire “Don’t Look Up” hitting theaters. But the earliest tweet-length reviews of the movie, which was filmed in the Boston area, suggest that Netflix’s big-budget comedy could be in line for “double-digit” Oscar nominations.
The film, which director Adam McKay readily admits is a parable for climate change, centers around two astronomers (Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) who must convince the world to pay attention to the comet that has a “100 percent chance” of destroying the planet if no action is taken.
The pair’s dire warnings are largely ignored by an indifferent public, as well as a combative administration that includes President Jamey Orlean (Meryl Streep) and her son/presidential aide Jason (Jonah Hill).
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Following the world premiere of the film earlier this month, attendees shared their early reactions on Twitter, where the conensus seems to be that the film is both unbelievably bleak and very funny. Many critics also suggested that “Don’t Look Up” could be in line for multiple Oscar nominations, with one critic from Variety suggesting double-digit nominations for the film wasn’t out of the question.
Before it arrives in theaters December 10 or hits Netflix on December 24, here are some of the first reactions from critics about “Don’t Look Up.”
IndieWire Editor at Large Anne Thompson called “Don’t Look Up” both “dead serious and hilarious.”
Kyle Buchanan, of The New York Times, used actress Kirsten Dunst’s inside joke of describing a film destined for multiple awards as “shrimpy” in his tweet-length review.
Erik Davis, of Fandango, called “Don’t Look Up” a “hilarious and horrifying satire.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg called “Don’t Look Up” a “present-day ‘Dr. Strangelove.'”
Variety’s Jazz Tangcay theorized that Academy voters will “lap this film up.”
Scott Menzel, of the Hollywood Critics Association, called “Don’t Look Up” “the funniest film I’ve seen all year.”
Los Angeles-based film critic Courtney Howard called “Don’t Look Up” both “outrageously funny” and “on-point.”
Jenelle Riley, of Variety, suggested that “Don’t Look Up” could be in line for “double-digit” Oscar nominations.
Freelance film writer Tomris Laffly called “Don’t Look Up” director Adam McKay’s “best movie by a healthy margin.”
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