New Idea

DON’T LOOK UP: WILL YOU UNFRIEND ME IF I LIKED IT?

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Leonardo Dicaprio! Jennifer Lawrence! Queen Meryl Streep! If this cast doesn’t scream “back the tip truck onto the red carpet and dump out a pile of awards”, I don’t know what does. Toss Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill and Ariana Grande into the mix, and Bob’s your uncle! You’ve got a sure-fire hit, right? Well, not exactly, because this comedy is causing all kinds of drama.

Since its Christmas Eve release, Don’t Look Up has ripped through the internet, leaving a trail of tears, destructio­n and full-blown screaming matches across every social media platform.

Critics and haters alike call the Netflix movie “shrill, smug, elitist”. Those who love it claim that it’s “adventurou­s, bold, hilarious and razor sharp”. There are even stories of Facebook friends blocking pals after having online screaming matches. Really? Over a movie?

On the surface, the plot of Don’t Look Up is straightfo­rward: J-law and Leo play low-level astronomer­s who discover a comet that will destroy Earth when it collides with us in six months. From presidents to pop stars, chatty morning-show hosts and crazy billionair­es – literally no-one listens to what they have to say or takes them seriously as the clock ticks down. But apparently, this is when the Facebook feuding begins.

Now, I’m not one to look too deep below the surface, but after hearing the hysteria surroundin­g it, I’ve discovered that the whole ‘everyone is in denial of the comet’ is a metaphor for climate change and we all better pay attention before Earth is destroyed. So it’s a movie with a political agenda some people don’t agree with? Somebody call Scotland Yard and have these moviemaker­s arrested!

The way I see it: who doesn’t love a spirited conversati­on about movies, especially one with lots of big stars! But you don’t need to get your knickers in a twist over it! Wait, maybe that’s what Netflix wanted: Don’t Look Up is already the third most watched movie in Netflix history. Well, what do you know – I’m no police detective, but I think I just figured this conspiracy theory out! Can we be friends again?

Follow Richard on Instagram @the_richardrei­d and Twitter @Rreidsholl­ywood

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