Our take
The key to what makes this apocalyptic thriller from Mr Robot and Homecoming showrunner Sam Esmail so unnerving is how resolute it is about not taking place in an alternate timeline. Making references to memorable events in recent history and namechecking real brands and cultural touchstones (like Tesla and Friends), Leave the World Behind is uncannily familiar — which, when combined with the film’s meticulous crafting of tension, makes it all the more unsettling.
Though taking place amidst an ambiguous national emergency, the film is largely set in one house — a claustrophobic setting that puts the characters’ self-conceits and prejudices under a microscope and forces them to confront their own impotence in an analog world. If it all sounds a bit “we live in a society,” be assured that Leave the World Behind cleverly manages to avoid the pitfalls of seeming like a bad Black Mirror ripoff by sidestepping expectations and deploying all the atmospheric tools in its arsenal. Withholding key plot and character information to increase our own paranoia means the movie always runs the risk of disappointment when explanations are finally given, but its focus on the human drama and its well-set-up ending ultimately eclipse any niggling frustrations.
Synopsis
A family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices—and two strangers appear at their door.
Storyline
When a communications blackout suddenly strikes their luxurious remote vacation, Amanda (Julia Roberts), Clay (Ethan Hawke), and their kids are forced to share the house they rented with its owners (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la), who have returned bearing unnerving news.
TLDR
The irony of Leave the World Behind premiering on Netflix considering *that* ending is certainly something to chew on.
What stands out
Crucial to the movie’s gripping effect is its all-too-rare use of the purely visual and aural elements of filmmaking. Tod Campbell's off-kilter cinematography (featuring frequently rotating camerawork and voyeuristic zooms) plus the jarring, jangly score by Mac Quayle set an instantly engrossing tone and magnify all the paranoia onscreen. If you’ve ever seen Esmail’s brilliant show Homecoming, you’ll know just how effective his direction is at wordlessly sowing the seeds of conspiracy — making for an unusually involving and deeply rewarding (if not exactly stress-free) viewing experience.