Leave the World Behind will likely frustrate film-goers who expect everything to be spelled out for them.
You may or may not be aware of the term “doomscrolling.” It means the tendency some people have of reading a negative or depressing news article and then searching for more information about the topic even though the information may be scary or even more depressing. Leave the World Behind, the 2023 movie written and directed by Sam Esmail from the book by Rumaan Alan, is the motion picture equivalent of doomscrolling. It goes on for possibly far too long and becomes more depressing with each passing minute. Yet, you can’t stop watching because you want to know more. Clocking in at two hours and twenty one minutes, this is not a movie that rushes things along.
Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play Amanda and Clay Sandford, an upper middle class white family from New York City. As Clay awakens one morning, he finds Amanda packing their suitcases. She’s impulsively rented a large house near the beach for the weekend to get the Sandfords and their two kids, Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) and Archie (Charlie Evans,) out of the hustle of the city for a while.
While the family is at the beach, Archie takes notice of an oil tanker offshore. Clay wonders if there is a port nearby. Gradually, the tanker gets closer and closer to the shore. Without warning, the oil tanker runs aground at full speed. As the beach is evacuated, the family notices that their cell phones have lost service. When they return to the house, the Wi-Fi isn’t working and the TV isn’t receiving a signal on any channel. The Sandfords decide that they’ll address these minor technological hiccups in the morning and go to bed.
That night, a knock at the front door startles Clay and Amanda. The house’s black owner, G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la,) apologize for interrupting the family’s vacation but a blackout in the city has forced them to seek shelter at their house for the night. Amanda immediately distrusts the Scotts and doesn’t want to let them stay. Clay, however, is more forgiving and believes their story. However, both acknowledge that the Scotts seem to be withholding information about the blackout and might know what caused it. The lack of available internet, phone service, and TV hampers any way to find out what’s really going on. The families form an uneasy alliance in the face of increasingly odd events.
Leave the World Behind will likely frustrate film-goers who expect everything to be spelled out for them. In addition, the movie exemplifies the definition of a slow burn. Most of the adult characters are given the chance to develop and interact. Dialogue pushes most of the action since much of the movie takes place inside the house. Actual plot-driving events arrive sparsely at first. However, my biggest problem with the script isn’t the lack of action or the prolific dialogue. I found the majority of the characters to be dense and unlikable. Particularly grating are Amanda and Ruth, who spend quite a lot of time verbally sparring with one another. And, perhaps, that’s the point of the movie. That, as humans, we hang on to our petty differences far too long in the face of a catastrophic event. Point made. Point beaten to death.
Director Esmail is quite fond of shots that, without CGI, would be physically impossible. Numerous times throughout the film, the camera tracks through walls, windows, and even floors of the house. Sometimes, it spins as it moves which makes for a jarring viewpoint. It’s a cool effect when you notice it the first time. But, after the tenth time, it becomes distracting.
With those negative points out of the way, I did enjoy the way that the script keeps ratcheting up the tension and mystery. Some details are revealed subtly and still others aren’t explained at all. But most of all, as bad as this sounds, I appreciate that everything in the movie could actually happen. I think that’s what makes it as nerve-wracking as it ends up being.
If you’re looking for a movie that will challenge and possibly frustrate you but should ultimately scare you, check out Leave the World Behind.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
I love Esmail so will check it out but “Point made. Point beaten to death.” was hilarious.
Great review, shares enough to give a solid sense if this is worth my time, which at nearly 2 1/2 hours is non trivial – that’s a 2 cushion and a stretch break movie.