By the way, I think the negative reviews of the movie actually reflect the discomfort of people, even professional reviewers, being given a message that their social reality is insane.

Until one accepts that fact, the confronting of it is disconcerting to the point of denial.

"That's ridiculous."

"That's too simplistic."

"That's too extreme."

"I really can't believe that."

"Make that message go away."

* * * *

This reviewer, in particular, must have been expecting something and gotten something else:

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dont-look-up-movie-review-2021

Clueless.

* * * *

On the other hand, this review:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/movies/dont-look-up-review.html

. . . shows something interesting. It says: “McKay’s work with DiCaprio is particularly memorable, partly because Dr. Mindy’s trajectory — from honest, concerned scientist to glib, showboating celebrity — strengthens the movie’s heartbreaking, unspeakable truth: Human narcissism and all that it has wrought, including the destruction of nature, will finally be our downfall. In the end, McKay isn’t doing much more in this movie than yelling at us, but then, we do deserve it.”

What’s interesting is the fact that the sensibility of David Watson’s 1994 “Catching Fish” essay was very alternative at the time. In just a generation it has become almost mainstream, at least among the green-minded.