Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay has admitted he was “shocked” by the strong reaction the film sparked among critics.
The filmmaker’s latest offering – which served as an allegory for climate change – debuted on Netflix last month, smashing viewing records on the platform but dividing critical opinion.
In an interview with Variety, Adam admitted he was taken aback by just how “passionate” critics’ thoughts on the film were.
“I think we were all quite shocked,” he said. “The reviews were pretty much 50-50, and that’s fine, we’ve all been through that. But I was shocked by the really intense anger that some critics had.
“We had been screening the movie and had gotten no reactions like that ever. Generally speaking, test audiences were laughing. So when reviews came out... That’s not to say they’re incorrect. Of course responses will be complicated and passionate.”
He added: “When it was released on Netflix, I was equally shocked by the passionate, positive responses. I’d never seen anything like that. People crying, laughing.
“So across the board, with the critical reception, the audience response, there was no middle ground.”
Don’t Look Up holds the supposedly “rotten” score of 55% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes, but has fared slightly better with viewers, with a current audience score of 78%.
The disaster movie boasts an all-star cast which included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry and Timothée Chalamet.
Last week, cast member Ron Perlman made headlines with his impassioned defence of the Netflix film, telling its detractors: “Fuck you and your self-importance.”