Don't Look Up wants to be Dr. Strangelove for the climate crisis generation, but it's more like getting yelled at for two hours by someone who's technically right but won't stop talking. The satire is obvious, the jokes are repetitive, and the ending is 'we all die, isn't that sad?'
That said, it nails the media literacy angle. Watching politicians spin a comet into a partisan issue, tech billionaires monetize the apocalypse, and influencers dance while the world burns—it's uncomfortably accurate. If you've got a high schooler who needs a conversation starter about misinformation or climate denial, this could work. Just know they might come out more cynical than inspired.
The split reviews tell the story: critics found it smug and exhausting, audiences appreciated the attempt. It's not unwatchable, but it's also not the cultural moment Netflix hoped for. Watch it if you want to feel validated in your frustration with modern discourse, skip it if you're looking for hope or subtlety.





