When an asteroid the “size of Mount Everest” comes hurtling towards Earth, two astronomers make it their mission to save the world. Written and directed by satirical film maker Adam McKay, the Netflix hit movie Don’t Look Up presents ironic allusions about governmental corruption and the current political climate in America. 

In the film, a pair of scientists, Dr. Mindy and Kate Dibiasky – played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively – discover a comet that is projected to obliterate all of human life in less than six months. The two land an interview with the narcissistic President Janie Orlean – played by Meryl Streep – and her even more condescending son and Chief of Staff Jason Orlean – played by Jonah Hill. Their claims, however, are quickly dismissed as the President does not want the hysteria from an apocalyptic event occurring under her presidency. 

Many viewers who are up to date with the current political climate in America caught onto McKay’s allusions to the real world, which mimic government cover-ups of environmental crises. Environmental Science teacher Susanne Mueller agreed that these allusions were “obvious,” noting that she picked up on them within the first 15 minutes of the film. 

As the movie progresses, the allusion to former President Donald Trump’s time in office becomes increasingly evident. Whether the outlandish remarks, obsession with polls and ratings, or an odd parent-child relationship, gave it away, viewers are bound to observe the parallel between President Orlean and former-President Trump. 

In the movie, President Orlean dismisses the claims of an imminent comet impact, until she realizes that she can manipulate the media to fit her agenda, prioritizing the upcoming election before the safety of those she is supposed to protect. This storyline mimics Trump’s statements about COVID-19, such as the one he made on Feb. 24, 2020, that the virus was “very much under control,” although it would lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Just like President Orlean, who knew the threat of the comet was serious yet dismissed it, Trump claimed COVID was “just like the flu” before admitting he knew it was “deadly stuff,” a comment leaked in a private conversation from the same month. 

Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer – played by Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry, respectively – could have easily been any talk show hosts in America with their exaggerated, yet entertaining and lively attitudes. The talk show storyline was more than movie filler, though. Similar to real-life talk show hosts, who will air anything to attract the most viewers, Evantee and Bremmer gave little airtime to the comet because it was too serious and dark for their viewers. They would rather focus on something more “important” like popstar Riley Bina’s – played by Ariana Grande – relationship drama. These scenes highlighted the way the media manipulates the public and avoids discussing real issues, instead of using their platforms in an effective way.

Orlean does not represent one singular person, but rather the entire Trump family. Some speculate that he mimicked Ivanka Trump in his flirtatious relationship with his mother, or he could embody Donald Trump Jr. in his condescending and entitled personality. Though the references to the Trump family are evident in Don’t Look Up, the allusions definitely transcend the Trump bloodline.

 Another ambiguous personality was Peter Isherwell – played by Mark Rylance – a well-connected tech billionaire who convinces the administration that he alone has the solution to the catastrophic comet. First introduced while making a presentation of his revolutionary cell phone prototype, it can be assumed that Steve Jobs or Tim Cook, the past and present CEOs of Apple, respectively were used for inspiration. Though not known for corruption, the cultish group of those supporting the new phones is reminiscent of the “Apple cult” that fans of the company are jokingly accused of being a part of. Other big names in the tech industry, like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, also had their share of influence; both are known for their hold on the social media world and vast collection of user data, which is similar to how Isherwell’s technology is able to predict so much about his users.

The satirical allusions do not stop at conservative politicians or tech billionaires, though. One of the people who discovered the world-ending comet, Kate Dibiasky, is a carbon copy of Greta Thunberg. Senior Lexi Capitali stated that she “definitely could tell” that Dibiasky was politically liberal. The movie found fault in both sides of the political spectrum, joking about how liberals often have the right idea but the wrong execution. Her worthy speeches, but off-putting personality is evident. When the talk show hosts downplay the significance of the comet, Dibiasky screams that they’re “all going to die” before running off set. Though the movie was clearly written from a liberal narrative, McKay’s addition to the scene gave liberals their fair share of ridicule. 

Overall, the movie offered a scary warning of what our world could look like if the political climate continues on the path it is on. Beyond its humorous impersonations of our most loved or hated public figures, there lies a scary truth: whether it is a ginormous comet, a deadly virus, or the rising threat of climate change, nothing can get done when political interests are put before the nation’s wellbeing. Don’t Look Up is a reminder that no matter our differences, we are all human and need to work together, before the world implodes… literally.