Exploring “Leave the World Behind”: A Must-Watch End of the World Type Movie on Netflix
Leave the World Behind has arrived on Netflix and it’s undeniably chilling. This apocalyptic thriller, helmed by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail and featuring a stellar cast including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke, delves into the story of two families struggling for survival amidst a sudden, inexplicable blackout. One unsettling certainty emerges: a return to normalcy is impossible. Technology is mysteriously malfunctioning, and even the local deer around the families’ Long Island retreat are exhibiting strange behavior. The film masterfully captures the terrifying disorientation of a world collapsing, positioning it as a prime example of the gripping [End Of The World Type Movies On Netflix] that capture audience attention.
Writer and director Esmail shared his motivation for tackling this genre with Netflix: “I had been interested in doing a disaster movie for a while, and I specifically wanted to do one surrounding a cyber attack because I don’t think a lot of people have a concrete idea of what that would look like or how detrimental it would be, not just in America, but globally.” He added, “The impact of technology on society is something that I’ve always been fascinated by because I really do think it dramatically changed the way we interact and evolve as people.” This focus on a plausible, technologically driven collapse makes Leave the World Behind a uniquely unsettling entry among [end of world movies netflix].
The film is an adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s bestselling 2020 novel of the same name. Alam also served as an executive producer on the film, alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, and Nick Krishnamurthy, highlighting the project’s significant backing. Discover more about this intense addition to the collection of [end of the world movies on netflix 2022] (released end of 2023, but fitting the theme of recent apocalyptic films) below, and contemplate the fragile state of our interconnected world.
What is Leave the World Behind About?
In this compelling apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Roberts) and her husband, Clay (Academy Award nominee Hawke), rent a luxurious house on Long Island for a weekend getaway with their children, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their intended relaxing vacation takes a dark turn when two strangers – G.H. (Academy Award winner Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold) – arrive late one night, bringing news of a mysterious cyberattack and claiming ownership of the house. As the inexplicable crisis escalates, the two families are forced to confront a terrifying reality that grows more ominous with each passing minute, pushing them to grapple with their roles and relationships in a world teetering on the brink of collapse. Based on Alam’s National Book Award–nominated novel, Leave the World Behind was produced by Esmail Corp, Red Om Films, and executive produced by Higher Ground Productions, solidifying its place as a high-profile [end of world movies on netflix].
Is Leave the World Behind Based on a Book?
Yes, Leave the World Behind is a cinematic adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s critically acclaimed, bestselling 2020 novel. Director Sam Esmail recounted his immediate connection to the source material: “I read it in one sitting and then reread it a few hours later — the first time as a fan and the second time imagining it as a movie.” He praised Alam’s narrative focus: “What Rumaan did so well with this story is that he kept it centered on these characters and the journey they’re all on, and I found a way to expand upon my obsessions while translating it into a cinematic experience: What if technology was the driver behind this collapse?”
Alam, in turn, found an ideal collaborator in Esmail for bringing his story to the screen. He shared, “There’s a trust you have to establish with people as an artist, and in my first conversation with Sam, I trusted him and felt I understood him as an artist.” Upon reading the script, Alam felt his original story was “being reborn,” yet its core emotional truth remained intact. He recognized Esmail as a creative partner who enriched and deepened the narrative, crafting a different experience with the same powerful message about societal vulnerability. Alam reassured fans of the novel that despite the inherent risks of Hollywood adaptations, he felt his “book was in great hands” throughout the project, ensuring its themes resonated as a compelling addition to the genre of [world no one movie] narratives.
What’s Going on with the Deer in Leave the World Behind?
A particularly eerie sequence contributing to the film’s unsettling atmosphere occurs when Clay’s attempt to fix a malfunctioning television is interrupted by a strange sight: a large herd of deer silently surrounding the house, simply staring. When Rose approaches, these typically skittish animals remain motionless. The scene is deeply unsettling, hinting that the crisis is not merely technological but impacting the natural world in disturbing ways. This unexplained behavior adds another layer of dread to the unfolding events, making the audience question the true scope of the disaster in this [end of the world type movie on netflix].
Julia Roberts as Amanda Sandford observes a herd of deer in the apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind on Netflix.
Where Was Leave the World Behind Filmed?
The impressive house featured prominently in Leave the World Behind is a real location. Exterior shots and some interior scenes were filmed in Old Westbury, New York. Director Sam Esmail had specific requirements for the location’s layout: an open kitchen and living area to facilitate camera movement and a pool visible from the kitchen. To achieve the film’s dynamic camera work, including shots that appear to pass through walls, production teams built nearly identical replicas of rooms on studio soundstages in Bethpage, NY.
Esmail noted the chosen house’s distinctive character: “It had such a personality in terms of how it was laid out, this hallway with windows that could oversee the pool.” He explained that this unique layout provided filmmakers with “license to be able to move the camera, and interesting angles,” which would have been difficult to achieve in other properties. The careful selection and recreation of the setting underscore the film’s commitment to creating a tangible space for the characters to confront their terrifying reality in this impactful [end of world movie netflix].
Who is in the Cast of Leave the World Behind?
The film boasts a talented ensemble cast that brings the characters’ reactions to the impending apocalypse to life. Their performances are central to conveying the human element of this large-scale disaster scenario.
Julia Roberts
as Amanda Sandford
About the Character
Amanda Sandford is a busy advertising executive from New York City who yearns for a break from her demanding life. On a whim, she books a weekend escape for her family in a stunning Long Island home. However, her hopes for relaxation are shattered when the house’s owners arrive in the dead of night, seeking shelter from a widespread blackout. Though sometimes perceived as privileged or narrow-minded, Amanda is fundamentally a determined woman driven by the need to protect her family in the face of unprecedented danger.
Known for acclaimed performances in films like Erin Brockovich and Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts imbues Amanda with a complex mix of charm and intensity. Roberts, who also served as a producer, found the character challenging. She told Netflix, “She’s complicated and surprising, and the main reason I took on this role — aside from wanting to work with Sam Esmail again — was the challenge. There are a lot of fine lines in making her understood, but not too unlikeable.”
Having previously directed Roberts in 2018’s Homecoming, Esmail felt that Amanda was perfect for her. “What’s really great about casting someone like Julia Roberts is that you don’t have to worry about the likeability factor,” he explained. “Julia has the uncanny ability to channel the humanity out of any character, regardless of how flawed they may be.”
Mahershala Ali
as G.H. Scott
About the Character
G.H. Scott is a sophisticated financial advisor from New York City whose intuition tells him the blackouts sweeping the city are indicative of a much larger, unfolding catastrophe. He flees the city with his daughter Ruth, seeking refuge at their vacation home. There, they encounter the Sandford family, specifically a resistant Amanda who initially wants them gone.
Mahershala Ali is an acclaimed actor known for his versatile portrayals of complex characters across various genres, from dramas like True Detective and Moonlight to animated hits like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Esmail was drawn to Ali’s range for the role of G.H. “Mahershala’s poignant everyman quality mixed with his undeniable charisma make it nearly impossible for him to deliver a substandard performance,” Esmail commented. “That was what G.H. needed, a deep-hearted accessibility that lets him be your avatar into the story.”
For Ali, the character presented a welcome acting challenge. He told Netflix, “I think what attracted me to this character was that I wasn’t sure if I could do it.” He found aspects of G.H.’s life in high finance difficult to immediately relate to, making the process of embodying the character particularly engaging. “So if anything, I was excited about the challenge of bringing this character to life and finishing up each day feeling like I believed myself.” His performance is crucial in grounding the escalating tension in this [end of the world movie on netflix].
Ethan Hawke plays Clay Sandford facing a crisis in the end of the world type movie Leave the World Behind on Netflix.
Ethan Hawke
as Clay Sandford
About the Character
Clay Sandford is Amanda’s husband, a media studies professor who typically takes a more laid-back approach compared to his assertive wife. However, when the crisis unfolds and the power grid fails, Clay finds himself largely helpless, struggling to adapt and problem-solve in the face of disaster.
A four-time Academy Award nominee, Ethan Hawke is a prolific actor, director, and author. His portrayal of Clay was seen by Esmail as depicting “one of the more fascinating characters in this film.”
Esmail elaborated on Clay’s complexity: “Clay as a character is so interesting because he upends everything you’d expect from the patriarch of the family. He’s the guy that’s usually portrayed as the sturdy, flawless hero of the story. And he isn’t.” He praised Hawke’s ability to make the character relatable despite his flaws. “What Ethan did with him is so difficult to pull off because he took a character that disappoints himself and his family in small and big ways throughout the story — but instead of begrudging him for it, you instantly relate to him that much more because of it. That’s a magic trick that’s not only hard to pull off, but it’s just something I’ve never quite seen rendered on screen in such a pure and vulnerable way,” he added.
Hawke humorously noted his personal feelings about the role: “I think the most interesting aspect about Clay is how much I don’t enjoy playing him!” He felt the character represented societal blind spots. “The characters in this film are dealing with the ramifications of their own personal blind spots as individuals and as a society, and Clay represents that in its most egregious form: somebody who means well and does nothing. That could be said for so many of us, and in a lot of ways, you don’t want to be too judgmental of Clay because you can very quickly become judgmental of yourself. “ His performance highlights the unpreparedness of modern life for an [end of the world] event.
Myha’la as Ruth Scott, navigating societal collapse in Leave the World Behind, available on Netflix.
Myha’la
as Ruth Scott
About the Character
Ruth is G.H.’s 25-year-old daughter. She is portrayed as outspoken and unafraid to call out the older generation, whether challenging her father’s evasiveness or Amanda’s shortsightedness amidst the growing crisis.
Myha’la is a rising young actor recognized for her roles in Modern Love, Industry, and Bodies Bodies Bodies. Esmail praised her performance: “She’s amazing,” he told Netflix. “Ruth is written as this really sort of brazen, overly confident person, but then there are quiet moments where her fears get the best of her. Myha’la has the range to effortlessly move from one extreme to the other, sometimes from scene to scene, sometimes from word to word.”
Notably, Ruth is G.H.’s wife in Alam’s book, but both the author and Esmail agreed that changing her to his daughter for the film would introduce a crucial millennial perspective. Myha’la reflected on this change: “I thought changing Ruth from the wife to the daughter was a clever move on Sam Esmail’s part.” She highlighted how her generation’s different relationship with technology and media makes her an interesting point of intersection for various societal dynamics – wealth, race, gender, and age. As a result, Ruth can appear contradictory: young and socially aware (“woke”), yet still judgmental of others’ backgrounds. She represents a minority perspective in many ways, save for the privilege of growing up with financial means and opportunities. Her character adds a unique angle to the human reactions in this depiction of a collapsing society.
Farrah Mackenzie as Rose Sandford, a young character experiencing mysterious events in Leave the World Behind on Netflix.
Farrah Mackenzie
as Rose Sandford
About the Character
Rose Sandford is the younger child of Amanda and Clay. Her enjoyment of binge-watching Friends is abruptly halted by the mysterious blackout, symbolizing the disruption of normal life.
Mackenzie’s portrayal brought a compelling, mysterious quality to Rose, as noted by Esmail. “She has this otherworldly quality just in her eyes,” he said, explaining that it immediately drew him to her audition and made him constantly wonder what the character was thinking.
Mackenzie described Rose as living “in her own world,” being both curious and inquisitive. She is often the first to notice or perceive the strange events beginning to unfold. Feeling isolated and uninformed by the adults, Rose retreats into the familiar escape of television. Her desire to return to a world she understands, even if only through fiction, is a poignant element in this [end of the world type movie on netflix].
Charlie Evans
as Archie Sandford
About the Character
Archie Sandford is Amanda and Clay’s teenage son, who typically prefers his own space and the virtual world provided by video games and his phone, often with headphones on. When connectivity is lost, Archie becomes fixated on finding a way to reconnect with the outside world through his device.
Esmail described Archie as a character who struggles to relate, existing primarily within his digital bubble. The character was initially conceived as more of a jock, but Charlie Evans’ audition tape altered Esmail’s perspective. “Charlie played Archie as a smart-aleck type of guy who kind of talks from a place of know-it-all superiority versus being a run-of-the-mill callow brute,” Esmail explained. He found Evans’ interpretation refreshingly different and ultimately better suited to the film’s themes.
Evans and Esmail connected over their shared passion for movies, particularly thrillers and psychological thrillers. Evans cited classics like 2001 and Hitchcock’s films, recognizing their influence on Esmail’s work. He noted Esmail’s “encyclopedic knowledge about films in this genre,” which informed the creation of this intense apocalyptic narrative.
Kevin Bacon as Danny, a survivalist encountering two families in the Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind.
Kevin Bacon
as Danny
About the Character
Danny is a local builder who had previously worked on G.H.’s house. He is also a survivalist, arguably better prepared than the Sandfords to cope with a potential societal collapse.
Kevin Bacon, known for iconic roles in films ranging from Footloose to Mystic River, worked closely with Esmail to ensure Danny felt grounded within the film’s narrative of survival and family. Esmail commented on Bacon’s performance: “Kevin turned what could have been a clichéd stereotype of a gun-toting conspiracy theorist into a staunch family man who wanted to protect his loved ones at any cost.” He added that Bacon skillfully navigated the archetype, knowing how to balance the character’s traits and bring him to life with unexpected depth and dimension.
Listen to Every Song in the Leave the World Behind Soundtrack
Sam Esmail put deliberate effort into curating the Leave the World Behind soundtrack, opting for songs that hadn’t been overly exposed in other media. This was particularly important for a crucial scene where two characters share a dance.
Esmail explained his approach to Netflix: “I’m a strong believer in trying to use music that hasn’t been used in a lot of film and TV because I do think people make associations.” He believes such a song becomes “another character in the scene.” For the dance scene, he needed a track suitable for dancing but not overused. “Too Close” by Next fit his criteria, striking a balance between funny and sweet while being able to transition tonally as the scene shifts from lighthearted to dark.
Here is a list of the songs featured in Leave the World Behind:
Joey Bada$$ “THE REV3NGE”
Kool & the Gang “Misled”
Blackstreet “Never Gonna Let You Go”
TV on the Radio “Winter”
Next “Too Close”
The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There for You – Theme from ‘Friends’”
Nirvana “Breed”
Eminem “White America”
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five “New York New York”
OutKast “Roses”
Pop Smoke “What You Know Bout Love”
Nazar, Shannen SP “Bunker”
Sufjan Stevens “America”
ESG “Dance”
ABBA “The Name Of the Game”
Red Axes “What Is In Your Head”
Beastie Boys “Shake Your Rump”
Diana Ross “Upside Down”
KPH “Welcome to the Party – Instrumental”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Maps”
LCD Soundsystem “All My Friends”
Beck “Lost Cause”
M83 “Kim & Jessie”
Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazlewood “Summer Wine”
TNGHT “Higher Ground”
2Pac, Talent “Changes”
When is the Leave the World Behind Release Date?
Leave the World Behind is currently available for streaming on Netflix. This intense thriller joins the ranks of compelling [End Of The World Type Movies On Netflix], offering viewers a thought-provoking and suspenseful look at societal fragility.
Leave the World Behind stands out among recent offerings on the platform, providing a grounded yet terrifying vision of what could happen if our interconnected world suddenly fractures. Its strong cast, compelling story adapted from a best-selling novel, and atmospheric direction make it a notable entry for anyone seeking [end of world movies on netflix].
