Just Look up, First Look

( Spoiler alert)

Just Look Up is a powerful movie that recently dropped on Netflix Starring Leonardo Decaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. It highlights how we as humans are more inclined to allow social media and other outlets to control our lives and blind us from the truth.

It also highlights how desperate those outlets are to push out the media frenzy not necessarily to control us but to continue to gain views and likeness.

Stay focused on the likeness aspect, this was the message I was getting initially. In fact, it infuriated me because I didn’t believe that the people that were supposed to be handling these situations were toying with the reality.

Throughout the movie, I noticed this theme. Every character that the main characters brought their doomsday news to immediately reacted by means of how the news could benefit them and their ability to be liked for more viewership and support. Or as if it weren't real. This tone was set immediately in the film with the first person our main characters reached out to.

I wonder why they would be so inclined to brush it off? Are they oblivious? Are they arrogant? Are they attempting to protect the “precious values of society?” Or all three? or something more?

None thought until it was too late that there was an impending doom approaching and when they did, they attempted to monetize it and it ultimately doomed us all.

I believe It was meant to be a reflection on how our leaders are more invested in what they can get out of something rather than understanding that there are things out of our control.

“They’re not even smart enough to be as evil as you’re giving them”

Jennifer Lawrence, Just Look Up

I won’t dive deep into this movie and highlight all its tropes yet. But I will discuss how this movie gives us gem after gem showing us as a people that one, we are more invested in our social lives and media has amplified that. two, the truth is only as believable as the number of followers someone has. Three, we are not more powerful than nature. No matter how much we think technology can help us overcome it.

This movie in its purest sense is about climate control and how the scientific community is screaming at the powers to be to notice it. However, the powers that be are more invested in their likeness and likes to take it seriously. It’s a wake-up call to the people to show them how our leaders see us. Thus, they act upon the events they are supposed to protect us from based upon that.

The true question is, who’s more responsible for their actions? Them ( “our leaders” the presidents, the influencers, the media, or us, the common people?

I will break down this question in a longer form post. Stay tuned until then and thank you for reading.