Leave the World Behind

  • Canada Leave the World Behind
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In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers – G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha'la Herrold) – arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. (Netflix)

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Reviews (11)

Malarkey 

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English This film is the kind that will have people either giving it one star or five. Essentially, nothing happens, but at the same time, everything does. It's an apocalypse in real-time where you learn nothing but are enveloped in an overwhelmingly tense atmosphere. The only downside is the lack of memorable scenes. However, the few that we get are absolutely phenomenal. I really appreciate how the filmmakers created a movie brimming with perfect tension from an atmosphere of complete uncertainty. As the movie approached its end, with a runtime exceeding two hours that flew by, I was almost dreading a typical American-style explanation that could ruin it. But to my immense relief, it didn’t happen. The film’s ending is just perfect, and very much fitting the genre. ()

Goldbeater 

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English After last year's Don’t Look Up!, Netflix serves up another comedic and chilling apocalyptic satire before the end of the year, and if it continues this trend for another year, I'll actually be pretty satisfied, though I have more reservations this time around. The cast is good and the atmosphere is great. It is admirable that Sam Esmail manages to keep the viewer in suspense throughout the entire 140 minutes of running time. The problem, however, arises during the finale, which has to explain all the previous events and the film's message to the viewer in such a horribly literal way that even an illiterate dullard can understand it. This is coupled with characters whose caricature-like behaviour and almost non-communication of fundamental problems, while serving the film's message, comes across as artificial and a bit annoying. Too bad. However, thumbs up for the final scene highlighting the importance of owning physical media despite being shown on Netflix. Heh. ()

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agentmiky 

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English You have to be cautious with Netflix. And this is doubly true for their film productions. It's really hit or miss (and unfortunately, it often falls into the latter category). However, after watching Leave the World Behind, I definitely place it in the first category. Sam Esmail surprised me. Technically, I haven’t seen a better film on this streaming platform so far. The camera work was precise (I was in awe), and the editing was excellent. Not to mention, the actors gave their absolute best (I was pleased to see Julia Roberts on the big screen again after a while). As for the plot, I really liked how the film chose to tell its story. The fact that you often had to piece things together yourself suited me perfectly (literalness in other films can become tiresome, so I welcomed the change). Besides everything, the film also offers some gripping sequences (the plane crash, the Tesla car scene, the teeth of one of the main characters) that took my breath away. So why not a five-star rating? The ending felt a bit rushed to me. I understand the creators' decision to go this route for a possible sequel, but I would have preferred a more thought-out closure. Still, it undoubtedly earns an 8/10. P.S. The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant! ()

Kaka 

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English A more thoughtful, tense and overall more minimalist version of Civil War with a gradually escalating atmosphere in the style of Take Shelter. Technically outstanding. Great cinematography and editing. Superb acting, a shame some elements were left unexplained and perhaps the conclusion was too rushed given the carefully constructed build up to the finale. ()

EvilPhoEniX 

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English Sam Esmail, the creator of the praised series Mr. Robot, directs an apocalyptic psychological thriller about a cyber attack for Netflix, with a decent cast and definitely higher potential. But Esmail and Netflix deserve a thumbs up, as there can never be enough good mystery conspiracy thrillers. Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and even Kevin Bacon in a smaller role make a for a good ensemble cast, so even though it is mainly a conversational drama-thriller with a longer running time than healthy, the film is fortunately not boring. (Of course, it depends on the individual.) I liked the mysterious atmosphere that accompanies the whole film, the division into chapters, and the craftsmanship. The few apocalyptic shots are very nice (although they could have been longer and there could have been more of them). There are plenty of questions and few answers, which wouldn't be a problem if the film didn't have a strange ending where you expect a proper twist and gets that instead. I always have the feeling that when filmmakers are unsure how to end the film and are afraid they don't have a well-thought-out twist, they end it randomly like this, but this doesn't apply in this case. I'm not completely thrilled about it, I expected a bigger mindfuck experience, but compared to the latest Shyamalan, it's definitely a class better. Although there were a few things that bothered me, overall I have no problem with it, and the film receives a weaker 4 stars from me. However, the idea is definitely terrifying. 7/10. ()

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