“Leave the World Behind” (2023) starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon / Z-View
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Director: Sam Esmail
Screenplay: Sam Esmail based on the novel LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam
Stars: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon.
Tagline: There’s No Going Back to Normal
The Plot…
Amanda (Roberts) and Clay Sanford (Hawke) rent a modern isolated house away from the city for a spur of the moment vacation with their two children. As the weekend progresses strange things happen. They lose internet access. Several deer wander onto the property and just stand still. At the beach an oil tanker loses control and runs ashore as beachgoers scramble for safety. That evening the wifi is still out and television channels are off the air.
Later that night, Amanda and Clay are awakened by two well dressed strangers. The man claims to be George H. Scott (Ali). He says that the young woman with him is his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la). George says that the house is his and a blackout in the city is the reason for their return home. Ruth immediately distrusts them. George cannot prove who he is. He claims to have lost his wallet. His wife, Ruth’s mother is due back from a business trip later that day. George is not asking Amanda and her family to leave. He just wants to stay with Ruth in his own home. Despite reservations, the two families agree to share the house.
The next day, they learn that the United States is under some sort of attack. Planes are crashing. GPS and electronics no longer work. The emergency alert system warns that the US is at war. Their worst fears have become reality.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Leave the World Behind reminded me of a M. Night Shyamalan movie written by Rod Serling. In other words, I loved it. It was well written, well directed and well acted. Sam Esmail who adapted the screenplay and directed made interesting choices that helped build tension as strange things began happening. Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon are excellent. I think this may be the first movie where I didn’t care for a Julia Roberts character.
I like movies that make me think, “What would I do”. Once Leave the World Behind kicks in, I did that a lot. There were no easy answers since no one was sure what was going on. I’ve seen a few bad reviews and they’re unanimously because the movie doesn’t wrap things up with a definitive answer. That’s one of the things I enjoyed about it. So, as always, but with this one a little more, your mileage could vary.
Leave the World Behind (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
