As a Tear Jerker page, all spoilers are unmarked as per wiki policy. You Have Been Warned!
While Don't Look Up is a black comedy with an ensemble of comedians at its helm, there are moments that can strike as saddening.
- Kate's entire situation throughout the movie. When she discovers the comet, it's a moment of celebration. But when she and Mindy realize that the comet is on a direct collision course with Earth, it's a race against the clock. Due to the incompetence of the White House and wanting to warn the general public, she can't due to the subject's confidentiality. When her breakdown on the Daily Rip becomes a meme, that's what leads to people turning against her (including her boyfriend). But when the Launch Day mission is aborted and learns the reason, she gets pressured into telling patrons at a restaurant about the plan, which results in her getting apprehended by the feds. When she signs the papers agreeing to their conditions not to press charges, her tone of defeat suggests that she's given up on humanity. It's only when she and Yule see the comet with the naked eye that inspires her to tell people how Orlean and Isherwell were lying and inspire the 'Just Look Up' movement.
- The Launch Day has got to be the biggest Hope Spot in the entire movie. The science of the plan is sound, and everything seems to be ready to blow the comet to kingdom come. But the second that the rocket and the nukes turn around, and when we get the understanding as to why, everything goes downhill in one hell of a Hope Crusher for both the world and the audience, and it might cement the Foregone Conclusion that the comet will hit (unless you had the smallest bit of hope that BASH's plan would somehow work).
- Mindy, Yule, and Kate seeing the comet with the naked eye. It's of a similar structure to the discovery scene, but instead of it being a moment of celebration turning into a race against the clock, here, it's a juxtaposition. The contrast between his and Kate's amazement at the sight and their knowledge of the horrific implications of its appearance makes for a heart-breaker of a scene. The music in this scene also helps enhance the feelings of amazement and tragedy.
- Every time there's a montage of clips that are unrelated to the movie, it serves as a reminder of what's at stake. The ocean, the hummingbird, various fauna, the next generation of humans, monuments, the beauty of the world, and thousands of years of humanity's legacy, are all under threat by this one comet.
- The final jump-cut montage of people's final moments before the comet's impact is the more devastating one, since it happens during impact and serves as one final reminder of what's going to disappear now that an extinction-level event is occurring. It even opens with a parent giving their baby a bath. A gut punch of a way to show how destructive and indiscriminate the calamity is. That baby will never experience the joys of life because it, along with all of humanity, is dead the moment the comet touched down.
- Yule's prayer also deserves a mention. In a satire that ruthlessly mocks politics and certain issues, it's downright poignant to see religion portrayed in a comforting and positive light. Even better is that, unlike some comedies, it's not made fun of in the slightest.Dearest Father and Almighty Creator. We ask for Your grace tonight, despite our pride, Your forgiveness, despite our doubt. Most of all Lord, we ask for Your love to soothe us through these dark times. May we face whatever it is to come in Your divine will with courage and open hearts of acceptance. Amen.
- When CVN reports that the comet remains intact, you see people running in front of the desk, clamouring in panic. But the news anchor has the most despairing response. He tries to keep his composure, but as the live feed records the green screen desk instead, he mutters "We just never-", before sighing in resignation. The way his face drops as well is saddening, as he crosses the Despair Event Horizon, unsure how to comprehend the world ending.
- The film's final scene where the main characters are sitting and having a quiet dinner one last time before the comet destroys the Earth is heartbreaking. All they're doing is having one last dinner together, facing death together with dignity, then the shock-wave and firestorm reach them. Smash to Black. The score further compliments this emotion very poignantly (appropriately titled Memento Mori).
- The film's final line really twists the knife. The tone of defeat and resignation in Mindy's voice is haunting.Mindy: Thing of it is, is we, we really...we really did have everything, didn't we? I mean, when you think about it...
- WatchMojo, when counting down the Top 10 Dumbest Decisions in Disaster Movies
(The rocket recall made #3), said the ending was quote "far more bleak and depressing than even the direst of disaster classics." Those words couldn't have been summed up better.
- The film's final line really twists the knife. The tone of defeat and resignation in Mindy's voice is haunting.
- For all his flaws, it's hard not to feel sorry for Jason after his own mother abandons him to save herself (she didn't seem to do it intentionally, but by the time she realizes she forgot about him she makes no attempt to go back and doesn’t seem to be particularly upset about it.) The shot of him sitting alone in mission control believing he's about to die whilst still in total denial that his mother would leave him is actually quite heartbreaking. Even though he does end up surviving the comet strike to become the last living being on Earth, he's still desperately holding on to the hope that his mom has to be somewhere out there and will come back for him.
- Certainly ties in with Fridge Horror. By the time Orlean wakes up from stasis, Jason will be dead. The mid-credits scene is 20,000 years into the future, while the post-credits scene takes place after the comet's impact. Will Jason retain that hope beyond the grave, or will he crushed by the despairing realization that his mother is never coming back?
- As previously mentioned in previous entries, Nicholas Britell's score certainly knows how to enhance the tragedy. Some songs are juxtaposed, as out of context, they sound relaxing, but when you listen to them in the movie, it's both melancholic and beautiful. The juxtaposition of the music, enhancing the mood of the scene, is played to perfection.
- The two songs in the finale that deserve special mention are The End? and Memento Mori. The former plays when the BASH mission fails and humankind passes the Despair Event Horizon. The simple piano melody sounds melancholic, but crescendos into a bombastic score when the comet hits, and triggers the Apocalypse Wow montage. The latter plays when the shock wave reaches more inland to Chile, and the wall of fire expands outwards to cover more of the Earth. The simplistic melody and choice of instruments illustrate the poignancy of sound and how it can enhance the moment altogether... right before an audible Smash Cut that hits home how abrupt and sudden the end of the world can be.
- There is also an aura of sadness with the end credits. As the actors are listed after the mid-credits scene, we see several objects related to all the characters in the movie just aimlessly floating around in space. The fact that all these characters are now dead means their belongings will be all that is left of them as they drift through space forever.
