Leave the World Behind

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Leave the World Behind

R

Released Nov 22, 2023

2h 20m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

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161 Reviews

36%

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10,000+ Ratings

In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers -- G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha'la) -- arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.

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Critics Consensus

An exceptionally well-acted apocalyptic thriller, Leave the World Behind steadily draws the viewer in despite its leisurely pace and somewhat simplistic messaging.

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Audience Says

After a pretty strong start, Leave the World Behind loses its way, fumbling an interesting premise with unlikable characters, unbelievable dialogue, and a disappointing ending.

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Lillian Crawford

Empire Magazine

The tension is breathless and well-constructed, but since they begin with the dial at eleven, there is nowhere to go throughout the film’s exhausting 140 minutes.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 15, 2024

Full Review

Rafer Guzman

Newsday

The end of the world is always a valuable thought experiment; it makes us start asking important questions. Alam’s book wondered: “What if?” But Esmail’s movie mostly wants to know: “How come?”

Rated: 2/4

Dec 20, 2023

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Wenlei Ma

PerthNow

We’re not in control, but Sam Esmail is of his startling, character-driven doomsday story about what happens when there’s the very real possibility everything is about to end.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 19, 2023

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Marta Medina

mundoCine

Despite its slow pace and a somewhat simplistic, repetitive message about the digital age, Leave the World Behind remains an intriguing and formally striking film, thanks to Esmail’s stylised eye. [Full Review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Aug 3, 2025

Full Review

Guillermo Troncoso

Screen Realm

We’ve seen similar ideas before, but Leave the World Behind holds its own. It’s well-acted, confidently directed, and tense enough to keep you watching — even if it doesn’t quite stick every landing.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 31, 2025

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Alfred Castaneda

Shade Studios

By the end of the film, the cast feels like they haven’t figured out where they really belong just like the house that seems to exist in a non-existent plot on Long Island. Even the self-driving Teslas don’t know where to go.

Jul 30, 2025

Full Review

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Steven

Really tense and thought provoking movie that is also a lot of fun, like early Spielberg.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/27/23

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Remzy

The last scene made me smile.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/23

Full Review

Robyn K

Film was well made and the acting was terrific. The subject matter, however, was quite perturbing...as it is so close to what we're potentially really facing. People, wake up and smell the coffee...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/23/23

Full Review

Jon M

The movie was good at the beginning but towards the end it wasn't good at all and the ending made the sense to me nobody wants to see a ending where it's just a lil girl watching the last episode of her shown inside of a bunker idk if they are planning on continuing the movie with another but this movie wasted 2 hours of my time just to see it end in such a stupid way

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

Full Review

Dakota N

This movie has severely gotten under my skin and I figured I would watch and continue to understand but the plot has no structure. It seems that there was no set direction that the producers wanted to take it, so they threw everything they thought of into it at once. The ending was the worst and left so many open ended questions.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

Full Review

Tim S

Filled with tension and uncertainty--what you would expect at the end of the world. Realistic arc of affluent characters from entitlement to humility as control over their individual circumstances slowly dissipates. There is no bow at the end of this one, folks, loose ends abound. Just as in real life, the characters'--and the world's--future remains nebulous.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

Full Review

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Sam Esmail

Director

Julia Roberts

Amanda Sandford

Mahershala Ali

G. H. Scott

Ethan Hawke

Clay Sandford

Myha'la Herrold

Ruth Scott

Kevin Bacon

Danny

Leave the World Behind: First Look

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Leave the World Behind: Final Trailer

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Leave the World Behind: Trailer 1

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Leave the World Behind: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers -- G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha'la) -- arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.

Director: Sam Esmail
Producer: Sam Esmail, Marisa Yeres Gill, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Chad Hamilton, Julia Roberts
Screenwriter: Sam Esmail
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Esmail Corp., Red Om Films, Higher Ground Productions, Netflix Studios
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Brief Bloody Images|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 8, 2023
Runtime: 2h 20m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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