Leave the World Behind
Leave the World Behind
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.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
Netflix ironically making the 'pro physical media' case probably IS a sign of the apocalypse. I really loved this. A slow burn psychological thriller that sustains the tension through the entire runtime. I love this kind of tension—the perpetual feeling of impending doom. Married couple Amanda and Clay (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke), book an AirBnB, outside of the city to get away from the hustle and bustle with their two children.
But in the middle of the night a knock on the door reveals a man and his daughter claiming to be the residents of the house. A massive power outage has crippled the city where their main home is and they headed out to their remote rental for refuge. The man, G.H. is played by Mahershala Ali and his daughter, Ruth, by Myha’la Herrold. The two families are forced to figure out how to navigate this night together, how to figure out what is going on out in the world, and determine who is it that they can trust?
The camera work is stylish with some Fincher-esque impossible camera movements. There’s also an interior car shot with excellent sound design that perfectly symbolizes the film’s major theme how technology and modern conveniences have created a separation amongst each other. This family of four on vacation together are each living a completely separated and isolated existence.
The all-star cast is fantastic, and Esmail mixes the pairings of cast members on screen throughout so we get different character dynamic in almost every scene. The only character I didn’t mention yet is Kevin Bacon, who plays a survivalist “nut” local to the area. He definitely brings the fire in his limited screen time, which of course I loved.
Leave the World Behind may not be for everyone. It’s not a typical apocalyptic thriller, but I immensely enjoyed the production, the outstanding performances, and the questions it asks about our relationships to each other. Highly recommend the film.