Leave the World Behind

Play trailer

1:00

Leave the World Behind

R

Released Nov 22, 2023

2h 20m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

36%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ 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.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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.

Read Audience Reviews

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Nelson Acosta

Koimoi

In these times when people see more differences than similarities, it feels important to remember that even when you probably don’t like most people you meet, we are the only thing we have for each other.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2024

Full Review

William Schwartz

Book & Film Globe

a devious film in that it’s just barely mysterious and intriguing enough that you want some kind of explanation, no matter how obvious it becomes that the explanation is going to be incredibly stupid.

May 4, 2024

Full Review

Armond White

National Review

The most insolent executive-office musing ever committed to film -- a full-out assault on the nation’s people.

Apr 12, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

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

Full Review

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

Audience Member

Horrible. The entire movie was confusing. I didnt understand 95% of what was going on. The ending is extremely confusing and underwhelming. I know people say this just to say it, but i would literally rather watch paint dry than watch this movie again.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

Full Review

Kirsty H

I’ll be honest: I went into Leave the World Behind cautiously optimistic, intrigued by the premise and the A-list cast. For the first hour, it had me hooked. The tension was palpable, the mystery compelling, and I was genuinely curious to see how things would unfold. But then… nothing really did. The story began to feel like it was dragging itself along, endlessly circling the same vague anxieties without giving us anything concrete to latch onto. It became a slog, as though the film itself was also waiting for something to happen—and, spoiler alert, it never really does. Now, I understand that some people might call this a “bold creative choice,” but I call it “bloody boring.” The characters, while perhaps meant to reflect the flawed humanity we all share, were mostly unlikable, which made it hard to care about their fate. I found myself frustrated not only with them but also with the movie for refusing to reward my initial investment of attention. What really gets me, though, is just how pretentious some of the reviews for this film are. The kind of praise that gushes about its “existential dread” and “subtle societal commentary” feels like a stretch, as if critics are scrambling to assign meaning to a film that doesn’t quite earn it. Sometimes a slog is just a slog, and dressing it up in intellectual jargon doesn’t change that. If you’re looking for a thriller with satisfying payoffs, this isn’t it. But if you want to spend two hours watching people wait for something while you wait for something, then maybe this one’s for you. For me? I’m leaving this film behind.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

Full Review

James B

Oh, a Starbucks! Any attempt at suspense was just undermined by that!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sam Esmail

Director

Julia Roberts

Amanda Sandford

Mahershala Ali

G. H. Scott

Ethan Hawke

Clay Sandford

Myha'la Herrold

Ruth Scott

Kevin Bacon

Danny

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Leave the World Behind: First Look

2:10

View more videos

Knock at the Cabin

68%

63%

Knock at the Cabin

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Knock at the Cabin

The Royal Hotel

89%

37%

The Royal Hotel

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Royal Hotel

Vindicta

14%

27%

Vindicta

Watchlist

Mercy Road

50%

45%

Mercy Road

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mercy Road

In the Fire

15%

30%

In the Fire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for In the Fire

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

What to Watch This Week: Poor Things, The Boy and the Heron, and More

Leave the World Behind: Final Trailer

1:00

Leave the World Behind: Trailer 1

2:08

Leave the World Behind: Teaser Trailer

1:29

View more videos

View more photos

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: Red Om Films, Esmail Corp., Netflix Studios, Higher Ground Productions
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

Most Popular at Home Now