Don’t Look Up: DiCaprio & Streep’s Improv Is Why The Movie Succeeds

Don’t Look Up’s improvised scenes, led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep, heavily factor into its success. Directed by Adam McKay, the satirical dark comedy has been divisively received since its streaming release on Netflix. Although it has been criticized for the execution of its themes, critics and viewers have unanimously praised the outstanding performance of the star-studded cast of Don’t Look Up. In fact, the A-list stars’ acting skills, particularly on improvised scenes, provide the satire a bigger opportunity to succeed and be appreciated.

The premise of Don’t Look Up was developed from McKay’s personal fear of the climate crisis and how the world continues to treat it as non-existent and unimportant. His frustration over the lack of media coverage on this life-threatening phenomenon pushed him to create a “blend of broad comedy” mixed with disaster and horror elements. What makes Don’t Look Up promising, however, is the balance between reflecting the world’s real-life idiocracy, selfishness, and apathy on important issues and the risk-taking of its cast.

In an interview prior to the film’s release, McKay shared how one significant Don’t Look Up scene was improvised. An early scene in the Oval Office shows DiCaprio’s and Jennifer Lawrence’s astronomers warning U.S. President Janie Orlean (Streep) and her Chief of Staff (Jonah Hill) about the upcoming planet-wide destruction. As it turns out, the encounter was improvised for two days by the actors, including Rob Morgan, who portrays NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office head. While the original 16-minute cut was eventually trimmed down, it certainly showcased Don’t Look Up’s biggest strength of its cast, which brings another layer of depth and humor to the film. Critics have certainly agreed on this, because even though it has barely been a month since its worldwide release, the movie has already garnered numerous nominations, notably acknowledging its ensemble of actors.

McKay’s films are no stranger to having excellent performers, but Don’t Look Up’s characters, based on real people, elevate his filmography. Highly talented dramatic actors pulling off a serious topic in a comedic manner makes his latest output different and arguably better than his “serious movie” efforts, such as 2018’s Academy Award-winning film Vice. After all, McKay’s roots involve him writing for Saturday Night Live and frequently collaborating with comedian Will Ferrell, so allowing his actors to improvise brings out the best of the film. He even encouraged Streep to pitch the idea for the mid-credits scene. Furthermore, McKay’s strengths are maximized as he embraces Don’t Look Up as a full-on satire critiquing politics and journalism.

Amidst mixed reviews for Don’t Look Up, the scenes that allow its cast to truly shine are regarded as its best. While not all characters were specifically written for the actors who played them, like Lawrence’s Dibiasky, the abundance of opportunities handed to the cast to make the roles their own wisely helped balance a sometimes uneven film. More importantly, it shows how eerily close to reality Don’t Look Up is, holding a mirror to society, where the influential are passive yet self-serving.

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