Leave the World Behind review
Leave the World Behind asks viewers to invest a sizable amount of time into a movie where it’s not exactly clear where it’s going. There’s some sci-fi elements, thriller concepts and even some mythical/magical ideas floating around.
It’s a weird hodgepodge of genres buoyed by excellent performances from Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke with a killer Kevin Bacon cameo. Director/co-screenwriter Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) sets up the film with an M. Night Shyamalan vibe — as good and at times great as it gets — it’s all going to come down to how it ends.
Leave the World Behind seems poised to be one of 2023’s most divisive films. Fans of bleak, ambiguous endings will love it. Those needing a stronger payoff and answers to some lingering questions will likely feel disappointed.
Amanda (Roberts) needs a break from the day-to-day grind. On a lark, she’s rented a vacation home for her husband, Craig (Hawke), and their two children, Charlie (Archie Sandford) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Initially the efforts to recharge prove exactly what the family needed. The vacation home is spacious with a big pool in the back. The home itself has wonderous views and a relaxing, quiet atmosphere.
And Rose is only slightly bothered that the WiFi connection is too spotty for her to finish watching the series finale of Friends on her tablet.
A random late-night knock on the door puts Amanda on high alert. It’s just G.H. (Ali), the house’s owner and his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies). G.H. appreciates the awkward nature of them stopping by, but a blackout in the city prompted him to seek out the more remote vacation home.
While apprehensive, Amanda follows Clay’s lead to let them stay the night and sort things out in the morning. Ruth isn’t falling over with gratitude since this is her family’s home and she’s picking up all the leery vibes Amanda is throwing down. A good night sleep does little to relieve some of the tension on Amanda and Ruth’s end. Things get worse when Amanda gets evidence of a cyberattack that’s crippled the country’s communications.
How can Clay navigate without his car’s GPS? Who can they talk to without working phones? And most importantly, will Ruth ever find out what happened to Ross and Rachel?
MORE:
- G.I. Joe Classified Series General Hawk review
- American Fiction, Oppenheimer win big with WAFCA 2023 Awards
- Marvel Legends Marvel’s Orb review – BAF Puff Adder wave
- Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One review
Esmail adapts Rumaan Alam’s 2021 novel, and naturally there’s some changes from the book to the film, arguably not for the better. The biggest shift is changing Ruth from G.H.’s wife to his daughter. While Ruth isn’t as young as Clay and Amanda’s children, there’s moments when she’s not on equal adult footing with Amanda. At times this leads to Ruth being dismissed so the adults can discuss the situation.
Myha’la is game though and holds her end up just fine with Oscar winners Ali. Roberts and multiple-nominee Hawke. Not shockingly, the cast helps Esmail from his naval gazing tendencies. Any interaction with Ali, Hawke and Roberts is great. There’s this mounting sense of dread that Esmail stokes to a blazing inferno aided with less traditional vertical and overhead camera angles.
Just enough weirdness happens to further raise the concern, which eventually evolves into panic and fear. One of the film’s stellar scenes shows the consequences of relying on technology even when a car is parked in a car dealership.
The cyberattack premise was enough to sustain the film, but Esmail never pays off the more mythical elements. Several characters have these odd encounters with hundreds of deer that seemingly builds to something. Then there’s the random flamingo flock taking a dip in the pool. Ultimately it never does and feels like easy sequences that could have been cut to help move the film along.
As the hours mount and important plot advancements are coming out like an IV drip, Leave the World Behind feels like it’s running out of steam. Compared to other Netflix apocalyptic thrillers, it’s far more How it Ends compared to Bird Box in terms of satisfying expectations based on this overly long, utterly frustrating ordeal.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Photo Credit: Netflix