Adam McKay Says ‘Don’t Look Up’ Popularity Proves Viewers Know They’re Being ‘Gaslit’ by Media and Political Leaders

Adam McKay said that the popularity of his film proves viewers know when they’re being “gaslit” and that the L.A. wildfires are a painful reminder that climate change is here and that the “we’re in an emergency right now.”

McKay wrote and directed “Don’t Look Up” for Netflix in 2021. As of today, the blockbuster comedy still remains the second most watched movie ever for the streamer. In his personal life, McKay has been outspoken about his views of the climate crisis. As a longtime Los Angeles resident, the director said of the fires, “We’re heartbroken. Afraid. Sad.” He didn’t hold back in an interview with NME talking about the fires, global climate change and the oddly enduring power of “Don’t Look Up.”

The director was quick to point out that this is one of the rare cases where TV coverage doesn’t do the scale of the disaster justice.

“Usually when there are disasters in Southern California TV coverage makes it look worse than it is,” McKay said. “This is the first time that I’ve had to tell friends and family reaching out that it’s actually worse than what you’re seeing. It’s hard for people to comprehend the scale and scope of the disaster we’re in. I’ve heard that from friends: they say, ‘I thought we had more time’. The answer is: ‘We don’t – it’s here now’.”

NME went on to ask McKay if he thought real-world disasters like the L.A. fires helped people perceive the current threat of climate change, he didn’t beat around the bush.

“When these calamities happen, which sadly are coming too fast and too frequently, there is a moment where some people get that climate change isn’t something for our grandkids,” McKay said.” We are in an emergency right now. We just wish it didn’t take 10,000 homes being destroyed and whole cities wiped off the map for some people to get what’s going on.”

McKay went on to talk about how films hold the power to hold a mirror up to the scope of real-life disasters. In a surprising reference, he mentioned “The Day After Tomorrow.” It might seem silly, and like a “bad sci-fi movie,” but the director thinks – minus the overall timeframe – that it feels like a mostly accurate idea of what might happen to the planet.

He also talked about his own film “Don’t Look Up” and the ripple-effect it had on the industry and with fans. “Don’t Look Up” follows the story of two astronomers (Leonard DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who discover a world-ending comet heading for Earth. The film centers around the scientists trying to warn humanity, but unfortunately, the truth falls on deaf ears. The film went on to receive a Best Picture Nomination at the Academy Awards but McKay feels like the film was initially unfairly criticized. However, in the years that followed, it found a dedicated fan base in dozens of countries around the world.

“In the face of these dramatic catastrophes that keep happening, a movie seems really small and ridiculous,” McKay noted. “But what was inspiring and energizing was the popular response to that movie, not the critics and the cultural gatekeepers who hated it. It ended up being number one in something like 85 countries, as diverse as Pakistan, Vietnam, US and Uruguay. That’s extremely rare for a comedy which is usually confined by cultural regional reference points.”

“The estimates of how many people saw that movie – Netflix will never say exactly – but it’s somewhere between 400 million and half a billion,” McKay went on. “Viewers all really connected with the idea of being gaslit. Being lied to by their leaders, lied to by their big news media, and being lied to by industries. It was funny – when I realized that was the common connection point, I was like, of course! It’s happening everywhere now with this global neo-liberal economy that we’re all living in. It’s such a cancer and everyone is feeling it.”

The ongoing wildfires in Altadena, Malibu and the Pacific Palisades have yet to be contained. The current death toll, as of Thursday, has risen to 27 according to the LA Times. Over 12,000 structures have been damaged and nearly 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes.

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