The lack of clarity about what’s happening, meanwhile, helps approximate being in the characters’ shoes, while underscoring the vulnerability of our digitally connected world.Īs noted, Esmail tapped into that corner of the zeitgeist with “Mr. Jojo Whilden/Netflixīreaking the movie into chapters gives “Leave the World Behind” a more literary feel, with issues of trust potentially exacerbated by those involving race and class. Mahershela Ali, Myha'la, Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke in "Leave the World Behind," from writer-director Sam Esmail. might know more than he’s letting on, as the sense of unease spirals and unusual events keep occurring. (Ali), shows up with his grown daughter (“Industry’s” Myha’la), clearly flustered by the unraveling situation and lack of access to media in the wake of a blackout apparently caused by a cyberattack. Some of those prove a bit clunky, but he then punctuates them with jarring images and a dissonant soundtrack offering a taste of the chaos that appears to be ensuing, much of it discretely off screen.Īmanda (Roberts) and her husband Clay (Hawke) have rented a house in a remote area of Long Island for a vacation with their two teenagers (Charlie Evans, Farrah Mackenzie), the latter so amusingly obsessed with “Friends” that all she can think about when all hell starts breaking loose is whether she’ll ever get to finish her binge watch.Īfter a strange incident at the beach, a man claiming to be the owner of the house they’re renting, G.H. Having shrewdly chosen classy documentaries, the company is yielding dividends to Netflix five years into their deal that go beyond vanity and the prestige of an association with the former president.Īdapting the novel by Rumaan Alam, Esmail shoots the movie in a way that at times almost feels like a filmed play, allowing for long exchanges between characters. Robot.”īeyond star power from Julia Roberts (who previously worked with Esmail on the Amazon series “Homecoming”), Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, the production team for “Leave the World Behind” includes the Obamas, marking the couple’s first fictional movie under their Higher Ground production banner. Edgy, unsettlingly paranoid and genuinely clever, it’s a logical continuation of the conversation writer-director Sam Esmail started with “Mr. After making a splash with “Don’t Look Up,” an OK disaster movie buoyed by its provocative premise, Netflix deserves to make an even bigger one with “Leave the World Behind,” a better apocalyptic thriller with a foot so firmly planted in reality, those who stream it might not sleep for days.
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