Depending on which group you fall under, you could either help save or contribute towards the destruction of the planet.

The Netflix film “Don’t Look Up”, which premiered last month, explores this concern with a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) are two astronomers who discover that an asteroid large enough to cause planetwide extinction will impact Earth in about six months.

Understandably alarmed and distraught, they try to get the word out and push for action to be taken – only to be sucked into a whirlpool of vapid media and asinine politics, as well as the “noisy” but ultimately trivial world of influencer-driven social media.

This sociopolitical satire is directed by Adam McKay, who bagged an Oscar for his 2015 biographical comedy-drama “The Big Short”, and also stars Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Jonah Hill, who pull off their roles brilliantly.

“Don’t Look Up”, however, has garnered mixed reviews, which suggests it has made certain parties uncomfortable by pointing out humankind’s collective denial, especially when it comes to climate change. The movie, after all, calls out the media – the very group that critiques movies.

On the other hand, several prominent climate scientists have praised the film for accurately portraying society’s non-response to the crisis.

One of the threads explored is the dangers of misinformation that permeates social media: “Don’t Look Up” shows how the masses are easily influenced by what they see on the internet.

And given the insidious algorithms of social media, it’s no surprise that misbeliefs are reinforced, further aided by constant validation from like-minded social circles.

The film also highlights how corporations take advantage of a crisis by pretending to do “good”, when all they’re really after is money and power.

It’s eerily similar to real life, where businesses claiming to support green technology merely exploit the situation by offering questionable “improvements” without solving the actual problems that threaten the planet.

Ultimately, the tried-and-tested route of “following the money” separates the schemers from the heroes of the film. “Don’t Look Up” ends exactly the way it should: with most people blissfully going on with their lives, deeply in denial, while only few realise the things that truly matter are rooted in community and humanity.

It might seem like the film doesn’t think much of humankind’s collective intelligence, which could rub people the wrong way. But given curiosities like Trump’s popularity, the “anti-vax” movement, and climate-change deniers, it actually reveals a bleak truth, albeit masked with humour.

Contrary to what some might think, the film uses comedy not to make light of the crisis but to emphasise the tragicomedy of it all.

Ultimately, the movie drives home the point that it’s humankind’s responsibility to preserve the planet for future generations. One can either connect with one’s inner Diabiasky and Mindy, or blissfully carry on with one’s habits while futilely justifying them along the way.

Closer to home, it’s clear that unsustainable lifestyles are causing damage to the Earth in many ways. The recent devastating floods in Taman Sri Muda, for example, could be seen as a sign that people need to start taking this crisis seriously by making attempts to reduce carbon footprint and minimise waste, instead of conveniently pointing fingers at one another.

Regardless of its flaws, “Don’t Look Up” has, at the very least, led to people talking about climate change again, and it is a conversation that needs to keep going until a major shift in thinking occurs.

‘Don’t Look Up’ is currently streaming on Netflix.