Adam McKay says the Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio-starring satire resonates with a widespread feeling of being deceived by government and media
Adam McKay says the Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio-starring satire resonates with a widespread feeling of being deceived by government and media
The metaphor was as subtle as a club to the forehead
Count me in as someone who missed the club to the forehead. I enjoyed the whole movie, then said to my wife "wow they really went hard on drawing all those parallels to COVID."
My wife nicely informed me that the movie was actually about climate change.
I thought it was a critique of american idiosincracy, while the world ending crisis is an analogy to climate change imo the main point of the movie is that the US is run by self-interested idiotas.
My problem with the movie is that they're obviously referencing the republicans when both parties do the same and that the movie is way too "white man burden" coded.
That's my issue with the movie. People who don't believe in climate change aren't going to have their mind changed by a club, but need to be tricked with something subtle. Nothing entrenches someone deeper into their views then calling someone an idiot or telling them they're wrong. The movie represents everything that's wrong with how progressives and the "liberal elite" like McKay try and convince people to come to their side. If anything, this movie probably just furthered the divide. Having Leo in it probably didn't help, conservatives love to point out the hypocrisy of his private jet and yacht.
I say this as someone who worked on the Bernie Sanders campaign and have talked to him about how to change non-progressives minds, although I'm not sure he's made much progress either. Maybe a little more than McKay.
So who is this movie for, if not to sway climate deniers? If it was really intended to let a liberal audience grandstand and circlejerk about how they're so much smarter then everyone else (which I'm not denying), then I guess it did a pretty good job of that.
Edit: full disclosure as a movie also didn't enjoy it, jokes were kinda too on the nose. Also just felt and looked like a Netflix movie, kinda plastic. Idiocracy was way funnier.
I don't think it's made to change anyone's mind. It's made for people who recognize the issue and are angry at the lack of progress. It's just a but of funny stress relief for those people, while also saying "yes, it's and issue and it sucks." It's a "preaching to the choir" movie, and the choir appreciates being preached to sometimes.