First ‘Don’t Look Up’ Reactions Praise Netflix’s Disaster Comedy

Adam McKay knows a thing or two about broad comedy and biting sociopolitical satire, having helmed movies including Anchorman, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, The Big Short, and Vice, the latter two of which turned him into an awards season darling and landed him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Next up for the filmmaker is Netflix’s Don’t Look Up, the star-studded road trip adventure that sees Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as a pair of low-level astronomers who discover a comet on a deadly collision course with Earth. The cast boasts a laundry list of A-list talent, so audiences will be going in expecting good things.

The early buzz painted the prescient story as a potential heavy hitter during the awards circuit, and now that the first reactions have started rolling in, it looks to have been right on the money.

Don’t Look Up has some smart ideas and some obvious ones, but despite its length and meandering nature it’s certainly compelling? Not sure it’s as funny as it wants to be. The drama is much more interesting. Doesn’t balance the tones well. Ariana Grande has a fun song in it.
— Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) November 19, 2021

https://twitter.com/ScottFeinberg/status/1461557830943576069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1461557830943576069%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fscreenrant.com%2Fdont-look-up-leonardo-dicaprio-first-reactions-reviews%2F

Don’t Look Up is a brilliant political satire and Adam McKay at his best. Easily the funniest film I’ve seen all year. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, & Mark Rylance are all freaking great in this. Oh, and Ariana Grande’s Just Look Up needs to be nominated. #DontLookUp pic.twitter.com/PTcizxYKoA
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 19, 2021

Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up is a dead serious and hilarious end of the world comedy, a Melancholia meets Dr. Strangelove —with a top ensemble in fine form, led by DiCaprio, Lawrence, and Streep. DiCaprio had been seeking a film to address the climate crisis in just the right way.
— Anne Thompson (@akstanwyck) November 19, 2021

Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio walking into the Oscar race. Leo superbly playing against type that is landing him that nom. Voters will lap this film up. It's Adam McKay doing what he does best, knocking satire out of the park #DontLookUp pic.twitter.com/zjXbGOU3lO
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) November 19, 2021

DON’T LOOK UP has some sharp capitalist and political satire if inconsistent humor. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredibly great here and gets an explosive Peter Finch in Network moment. Streep, Lawrence and Rylance are all good. Ariana Grande’s song is fucking hilarious. #DontLookUp pic.twitter.com/7VIhj0NAwV
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) November 19, 2021

ARMAGEDDON as a comedy, #DontLookUp is a scathing – and oft hilarious – commentary on social media/big tech culture, Leo, Lawrence & Rylance all slay, Adam McKay’s best overall work by far, SAG ensemble heavyweight, Netflix’s most accessibly entertaining awards film to date pic.twitter.com/LvSqw2K8Fd
— Erick 𝕄𝕄𝕋 Weber 🎥 (@ErickWeber) November 19, 2021

“Don’t Look Up” is brilliant. Razor-sharp satire that asks why we aren’t all more terrified by an existential threat to our planet, while being very, very funny. Definite “Dr Strangelove” and “Network” vibes. DiCaprio is superb, among an insane cast. #DontLookUp pic.twitter.com/D9426PZYjq
— Andrew Marszal (@andrewmarszal) November 19, 2021

#DontLookUp is absolutely hilarious, pretty depressing & flat-out brilliant. A perfect social & political satire for our times, like Dr. Strangelove meets Idiocracy. Leonardo DiCaprio & Jennifer Lawrence are so good but also loved Cate Blanchett, Timothee Chalamet & Ariana Grande
— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) November 19, 2021

We’ve seen how the U.S. reacts to an impending apocalyptic disaster in other movies, but how would we REALLY react? #DontLookUp is a hilarious & horrifying satire about how painstakingly hard it is for us to actually save the day. It’s what you expect, but it’s super entertaining pic.twitter.com/MmjDztw5nX
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) November 19, 2021

Adam McKay’s #DontLookUp is outrageously funny w/ satire that’s absolutely on-point. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence & Meryl Streep are marvelous. Timothée Chalamet is the MVP. Nicholas Britell’s score, perfect.Editor Hank Corwin is a master at smash cuts, heightening comedy pic.twitter.com/nIUlisCAqK
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) November 19, 2021

DON’T LOOK UP is the Wag The Dog-meets-Deep Impact satire I didn’t know I needed in my life. Hilarious, and absolutely the best target Adam McKay’s manic impulses has ever found. Ever. (Yeah, it’s his best movie by a healthy margin.) Great stuff!
— Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly) November 19, 2021

DON’T LOOK UP: I suspect the Academy will find this very shrimpy. Much to discuss, including Leonardo DiCaprio in a love triangle with two women over 40, Ariana Grande as Vox Lux, and a terrifyingly yassified Cate Blanchett as faux Mika Brzezinski
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) November 19, 2021

Don’t Look Up was always destined to be at least very good based on nothing but the talent involved on either side of the camera, and the rare treat of seeing DiCaprio doing comedy was always going to entice viewers. Based on the responses, though, it’s got plenty under the hood to back it up, and the only bad news is that it isn’t coming to Netflix until Dec. 24.