Kate
(Jennifer Lawrence) and Randall (Leonardo DiCaprio) are two astronomers who
discover a comet on course to strike the
Earth and exterminate human life. At
a White House meeting, the President (Meryl Streep) and her chief–of-staff son
(Jonah Hill) downplay the emergency at first, but after news leaks, she changes
her mind by turning the global crisis into a political event. As the country prepares
to launch ‘nukes’ to deflect the comet, a mysterious billionaire (Mark Rylance)
emerges with the detection of vast resources within the comet that could
revolutionize the world. With a country either believing or downplaying the
threat and the comet hurtling closer, can the world survive?
Many
characters lose their moral compass and become corrupt with selfish agendas and
profiteering, and the film openly serves
as an allegory on institutions like the news, climate change, and especially
politics and social media where what matters most are what trends or polls the
best and how the public responds to media darlings (like Randall who gets
caught up in the madness).
It’s
a preposterous setup for a movie, but the whole thing works with good production
values and the sheer commitment and zeal of a dream cast often playing things over the top including
a manic Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, and Ariana Grande (who sings the title song).
With
elements of On the Beach, Dr. Strangelove, Network, and When Worlds
Collide, this frenetic satire is likely
to split audiences with its offbeat yet thought provoking subject. (Watch for two amusing end credit scenes.)
***1/2
of **** stars (on Netflix)
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