Have You Been Watching...? Leave The World Behind (2023)

 

Leave The World Behind is a 2023 disaster movie from Netflix, with a “Big Name” cast including Oscar-winners Julia Roberts (Erin Brokovich, Pretty Woman) and Maherasha Ali (Moonlight, The 4400) and Oscar-Nominee Ethan Hawke (Gattaca, Boyhood, Training Day) and co-starring Myha’la (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies) and the legendary Kevin Bacon (Tremors, Footloose). It's based on a 2020 thriller novel by Rumaan Alam. As you will know by now, I do like my disaster movies, so this was a definite go-to upon release. The movie is already one of Netflix’s highest performers at the time of writing, but also one of the most controversial with a very low appreciation rating in review sites such as Rotten Tomatoes. Is it as bad as some people are saying? Can the movie live up to the hype? Read on, dear reader….

The plot begins straight-forwardly enough. Roberts and Hawke portray middle-aged married couple Amanda and Clay Sanford who, with their two children Rose and Archie, go on a spur-of-the-moment getaway to a rental house in Long Island, New York. The reason for this break isn’t really given, other than, as Amanda states before the titles, she hates people. Rose, the youngest of the two children, is addicted to the old 90s sitcom “Friends”, and this plays an unusually large role in the film so you know it’s going to mean something at some point. Archie is a stereotypical young teenage male with little time for his sibling. The house they stay in is a sleek, modern affair with a pool which backs onto woods populated by deer and conveniently near a beach. So far, so idyllic.

The family spend a nice day at the beach when a large oil tanker comes aground. Heading back to the house, they find the TV and wifi no longer work. With no internet, Rose is about to miss the series finale of Friends, which is distressing her, even thought its already older than she probably is. Matters get more complicated when a man claiming to be the house owner (Ali, playing George H Scott)) arrives with his daughter, wanting to stay the night as a blackout has caused getting to his own home more complicated. Amanda is instantly suspicious while Clay seems more accommodating. More layers are piled onto the plot as it begins to appear Amanda doesn’t like the Scotts as they are black. Is Amanda racist? It certainly adds an uncomfortable aspect to an already uncomfortable situation. Amanda later receives messages on her phone claiming hackers have caused the blackout but before she can tell anyone, the messages vanish. Seeking more information, George ventures to a friends house only to find the remains of a crashed aircraft and before his eyes, another plunges into the beach.

As more and more unsettling situations arise, relationships are formed and relationships are strained. Clues are found but there is doubt as to whether they can be relied upon. At times of extreme crisis, who can be trusted entirely?

This, then, leads to the controversial finale, which I will not spoil for you. The novel the movie is based on ends with the discovery of a bunker and some hope for the families. The movie’s ending has the “possibility” of similar hope, but the final moments allows the viewer to determine what is more important to whom? Is everyone able to sing off the same hymn sheet at such times? The viewer doesn’t receive all the answers and some is left to interpretation. This works for some movies and not so well for others. I feel the latter applies here. It’s a lengthy movie but to be rewarded with no definitive answer feels more like a cop-put than a planned ending. Sometimes, when I watch a movie, I want to see the story, not given about 98% and having to make the rest up myself. I watch movies and TV to be entertained.

The movie is NOT bad, it just doesn’t do enough to warrant a glowing review. The cast ARE great and immensely watchable. The direction is solid from Sam Esmail (although he did the screenplay too so can take some responsibility for naff ending). One of the major downsides to the movie is the overuse of pop music as at times, it feels like a non-stop pop video. This is mostly apparent at the beginning but calms down as the movie progresses.

With a run-time of 141 minutes, it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome and there is still plenty to entertain. However, with the absolute final moments, I can understand the poor reviews.

Year: 2023

Availability: Streaming on Netflix

Rating: 7/10