2023's 'Leave the World Behind' Misses The Mark

Rumaan Alam's 'Leave the World Behind,' a novel published in the unsettling year of 2020, proves to be hauntingly clever in what it withholds rather than what it reveals. The narrative builds anticipation around the impending catastrophe, teasing readers with the promise of an explanation. However, just when tensions reach their zenith, the story takes an unexpected turn, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Sam Esmail, the creator of 'Mr. Robot,' brings this enigmatic tale to the screen, starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as Amanda and Clay Sandford. The couple, seeking respite from a mundane Brooklyn life, rent a remote house, aiming to "leave the world behind."

Yet, the film's unease stems from different sources, introducing bizarre events at the beach and an unexpected visit from a man (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter.

While the novel wisely leaves the cause of the apocalypse open-ended, the film falters by bombarding the audience with a myriad of possibilities. Esmail attempts to dissect societal issues, from white liberal racism to class divisions, conspiracy theories and technological threats. The result is a relentless barrage of commentary on everything wrong with America, diluting the narrative tension into passivity.

The movie, instead of harnessing the horror potential of its themes, opts for over-signalling dialogue and symbolic camerawork that lacks narrative payoff. The accomplished cast, though beautiful and intermittently interesting, seems out of place in a film that struggles to find the right balance between fear and subtlety.

The ending, hinting at the survival of physical media, serves as a punchline, highlighting the irony of a Netflix movie proclaiming the endurance of DVDs in a post-apocalyptic world.

'Leave the World Behind' on screen becomes a cacophony of societal critiques, losing the novel's ability to evoke self-examination and leaving the audience with a disconcerting theme song as the world seemingly ends not with a bang, but with a discordant note.